The Crow Effect
by BlackBatLicorice
Summary: The butterfly effect is when a minute change in events has large effects elsewhere. In this case, it's what happens when Elena remembers meeting Damon first. Follow the story of Elena Gilbert in a way you haven't ever known it, and a version of Elena you wouldn't have known if she hadn't fallen for the wrong guy in all the right ways.
1. The Start, Again

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Obviously.**

 **A/N: This is the first time I've ever attempted a Vampire Diaries fic, please be kind! I realise that this starting point has probably been done before, but I am going to make sure it it's also like nothing you've read as much as I can.**

 **Chapter One: The Start, Again**

Elena Gilbert awoke suddenly with a gasp. Her sheets were soaked with cold sweat and in the semi-darkness of her room, the shadows seemed to jump out at her before her eyes adjusted. It was always the same, every night; the same flashback which arrived in the form of the same nightmare. It always began with a crow and ended with darkness as the water filled the car and she saw her parents for the last time. Not wanting to relive it in her waking hours as well as in her dreams, Elena swung her feet out of bed and pushed her long brown hair out of her face. Today was her first day back at school and usually she'd be excited, but it felt like just another day she had to get through.

Aunt Jenna was in a rush as usual in the kitchen as Elena made her coffee. Jeremy was in a mood, as he always was these days. Their parent's death had triggered some sort of rebellious streak in him that scared Elena to death. The idea of losing her little brother too was too much pain for her to stand, and to see him taking drugs and staying out late every night worried her. She didn't take in much of the brief conversation in as she gratefully took in her morning caffeine, only reassuring Jenna that she and Jeremy would be fine. He was out the door before she was, but she was relieved when her best friend Bonnie finally showed up to catch her ride to school.

"Looking forward to a new year?" Bonnie asked her as they climbed into Elena's car.

"A new year and a new start." Elena smiled softly. She really hoped that was true. She wished she could really wake up inside and start living again, but she also knew that it would take time before every day wasn't a struggle anymore. Still, having something to do again, classes and socialising being chief, it would do her good; take her mind off things. Get her back to normal.

On the drive, Bonnie talked about her supposedly psychic visions and her alcoholic Grams' ramblings about her being a witch. Other than one hiccup, Elena drove them safely and unharmed into school. There was the usual excitement in the air as the student body flooded inwards towards the building. The Virginia sun was warm and kissed Elena's olive skin. And heading towards them, the usual smile on her face, was Caroline Forbes, her bright blonde hair glistening in the light.

"Are you ready for this?" Bonnie asked Elena as they paused to wait.

"For what? School or Caroline?" Elena quipped as the blonde came upon them.

"Hey! I've already scouted the place and _none_ of the guys have gotten hotter over the summer. I mean, Josh Shales has bulked up, I guess to try out for the football team or whatever, but he still hasn't done anything about that acne and if anything it's worse because most of the girls have gotten hotter over the summer." Caroline rolled her eyes, launching as ever straight into matters without further ado. "I mean, Matt is as cute as ever and he totally asked me if I'd seen you today, Elena, but I told him you still weren't over your parents dying yet and-" Elena did not miss the widening of Bonnie's eyes in Caroline's direction after she made this rather callous statement. Caroline stammered, "I- I mean that in as sensitive a way as possible, obvs."

"Obvs." Elena smiled, trying to show that it was okay. And it was true, Caroline's thoughtlessness neither bothered nor surprised her. Caroline may be her friend but she was also somebody who'd eternally considered Elena a rival and that wasn't likely to change any time soon, even if Elena had 'checked out' of life as of late.

"Anyway, you guys are coming to the party aren't you?" Caroline asked, changing topics at the speed of light.

"I'll be there." Bonnie assured her with a smile.

"Elena?"

But Elena was no longer paying any attention. Across the parking lot, over Caroline's shoulder, Elena had locked eyes with a stranger- an extremely familiar stranger. Her stomach twisted sickeningly as she recognised him. He was the one she'd been talking to when she waited for her parents to pick her up that night- the last person she'd spoken to before they'd skidded off Wickery Bridge and they'd died.

She didn't recall him ever telling her his name, but she would know those eyes anywhere. They stood out even from a distance; bright, piercing blue and intense, set in a chiselled face framed by dark hair. He wore the same black leather jacket she recalled him wearing that night and the rest of his clothing was also dark. He was leaning against his car, arms folded, but she knew that he was looking right back at her.

"Elena?" Bonnie repeated her name, but Elena was already gone, walking as if in a trance towards him, swatting Caroline's inquiring hand away. The man- he was definitely too old to be a high school student- saw her heading his way and stood up straight as if to make his way towards her, but then Elena's determined stride was broken.

"I'm sorry." Whoever she'd walked into caught her as she stumbled, righting her on her feet. She barely had a glance to spare for the guy whoever he was, and she made a vague acceptance of apology and one in return without even looking at him. She was still focused on the guy she'd been heading towards. She _had_ to have answers, so badly, about that night, answers she felt he owed her. Nothing about that night added up in her head now, including the conversation she'd had with him before-

"Hey, erm, I'm sorry but I'm new here and I was told to check in at the reception. Where is that?" Elena looked away from the stranger for a second to look at the guy whom she'd slammed into. He was muscular, with brown-blonde hair and a strong jaw- attractive, by anyone's standards, but Elena hardly noticed. She glanced back toward where the guy had been standing but infuriatingly, he was gone. She spied his car pulling out of the parking lot and leaving. Clanging her teeth together in annoyance, Elena looked back at the guy at hand.

"It's straight through those doors over there." She pointed.

"Thanks…?" He said archly.

"Elena. Elena Gilbert." She forced a smile, reminding herself that it wasn't really his fault she'd missed her golden opportunity and that he was new in town; she ought to be more welcoming. However, her mind was already elsewhere so she merely managed a, "Sorry, I have to get to class," Before she departed.

Bonnie and Caroline caught up with Elena at her locker.

"Oh my God, who _was_ that guy?" Caroline demanded, "And what was up with you before?"

"That guy was new in town. And I thought I saw somebody I knew…" Elena wasn't ready to elaborate on the dark haired stranger yet- she wasn't sure she'd ever be ready for that conversation. She busied herself with offloading some stuff into her locker.

"He seemed… different." Bonnie said in a strange voice. Elena glanced at her best friend, whose bright eyes seemed to be seeing something other than what was in front of her. Caroline just rolled her eyes, used to their friends' mysterious 'psychic' spacing's out.

"I've gotta get to class. Laters!" The blonde trilled, disappearing down the corridor.

"Did you get that guy's name?" Bonnie asked Elena distractedly, her voice still low and distant. It reminded Elena of how she felt on the inside most of the time these days, then sighed at her own internal commentary, rather like she was living inside an angsty boy-band's record.

"I… no, I didn't ask." Elena realised, surprised at herself. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just have a strange feeling… never mind." Bonnie hitched a smile back into place, "Let's get going."

 **A/N: I am so, so nervous about this! I am sorry if you feel like you've read a thousand 'if they'd met first' stories, I promise that I am going to work extremely hard to make sure that this is different and I hope you will all like it. I will be sticking to canon for the most part, outside of the obvious changes, so don't worry about that, but there will obviously be changes to the dialogue/scenes and stuff as a result of the whole 'butterfly effect' change here. So please be patient and above all please review!**


	2. Girl Talk

**Chapter Two: Girl Talk**

"I can't believe you're stoned on the first day of school!" Though Jeremy had his hood pulled up over his head and was stood in a typical 'hard man' pose, all Elena saw was her little brother. "You've got to stop this Jer, it's bad for you, if Mom and Dad were still here-"

"Well, they're not, are they?" Jeremy snapped angrily.

"Jeremy," Elena began again in a pacifying voice.

"Just leave me alone, Elena." He stormed out of the men's bathroom into which she'd followed him. Sighing in frustration, she exited the bathroom- and walked directly into the same guy she'd walked into in the parking lot that morning. She knew by now from her history class that his name was Stefan Salvatore and that he was distantly related to the original Salvatore's, who like the Gilbert's were founders of Mystic Falls. Other than that, he was still something of a mystery. Elena thought back to the person she'd been before the accident, when she'd probably have joined in with all the other girls in the school discussing the hot new student. But, strangely, she found she wasn't really interested in him at all- though he did seem like a nice guy.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Elena apologised hurriedly, meeting his dark green eyes. He really _was_ good looking- by far the best looking guy in the school now. She could see the girls checking him out from the corners of her eyes.

"That's alright," He replied with a smile, "We have history together, don't we?"

"Yeah… Stefan Salvatore right?" She asked, to make up for her rudeness that morning. Stefan nodded.

"Yeah that's me."

"Well, it's nice to meet you again Stefan." She smiled and they both moved to pass by each other. Of course, typically, they kept stepping the same way and blocking each other's path, until finally Stefan stepped aside and let her go. Elena smiled again and drifted down the corridor, exhausted by everything already.

On the drive home, Elena's thoughts once again strayed back to the blue eyed stranger she recognised so easily that morning. Who was he? Well, she knew that his name was Damon but other than that, she had nothing except a strange conversation they'd had late one night. He had said things to her- said that he wanted her to have everything she wanted. She also remembered that he had told her to forget it, and then he had been gone. And forgot it she had- it was as if it had never happened at all. It was only in the car once they had crashed into the lake, just before Elena had passed out that the memory of Damon had returned to her, clear as a bell. He had called her Katherine. And though she had been afraid of him at first, out there alone on the empty road surrounded by mist, she had sensed something else about him- something about the way he spoke to her, perhaps- that he could be trusted, for some reason.

But then, the world had changed forever for Elena Gilbert. She only wanted to know who he was, why she had forgotten and then remembered him, and why he was in Mystic Falls. He had evidently come into the open now, unlike on the night in question when he'd told her he didn't want anybody to know he was around. Elena wondered why that had been important- why he had to be a secret. Not that she'd told anybody about that meeting yet- it just never came up. People asked about the accident and they asked how she was coping and how she was feeling, but they never discussed the night leading up to it. They never talked about how it was her fault for skipping family night that night, and nobody even suspected that Elena had spoken to anybody out on that lonely road.

After dinner, whilst Elena sat in her room writing her diary as usual, her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was Matt. He had given her only stony, wistful looks since she had broken up with him and Elena felt a sense of guilt whenever she thought about her childhood sweetheart now. She had owed him a real break up with a real explanation. Matt did not deserve the relationship to disintegrate as a result of terrible tragedy and to basically fade out of existence for Elena. This knowledge is what made her pick up the phone, even though she knew what he was going to say:

"Elena, hi," He greeted her down the phone.

"Hi, Matt. How are you?" She asked him to be nice.

"I'm doing alright. I miss you." Elena closed her eyes. Their conversations always went down the same route these days, and she missed just being able to talk to him as a friend.

"Look, Matt, I'm sorry but I've told you before-" She began.

"I know. I know what you told me but… Elena I still think we can make it through. We mean something to each other, you know it. I'll wait for you." And her heart broke all over again because sweet, caring Matt should never have to come so close to begging.

"Matt, things are different now. I'm different now. I want you to be happy and… I'm just sorry. I can't say any more than that." Elena heard her own voice as if she wasn't the one saying the words. How many times would she have to play out this same conversation? "I just want us to go back to being friends, okay? That's all I want in the whole world, Matt."

"I'll be your friend," Matt said, with an ominous pause, "But I'm not ready to give up on you yet."

Once Matt had hung up, and Elena had resisted the urge to throw her cell phone out the window, she headed downstairs to where Jenna was hanging out in the lounge, watching TV whilst working on her paper. She looked around at the sound of Elena's entrance.  
"Where's Jeremy?" Elena asked her aunt, already knowing the answer.

"He still hasn't come home." Jenna rolled her eyes, "I'm just really bad at this parenting thing, aren't I?" Elena shook her head. Jenna was doing a great job, all things considered- she'd lost her sister after all, and though young had found herself suddenly with custody of two grief-stricken teenagers. She was doing better than anybody could really expect.

"You're doing fine, he's just… I don't know, acting out because he doesn't know what else to do." Elena smoothed her long hair as she said this, glancing around herself. She had the strangest feeling like somebody was watching her, though she had no idea why she might feel that way.

"Well, is that better or worse than hiding your feelings and pretending everything is fine?" Jenna looked at her knowingly. Elena sighed, "I'm sorry, it's just kinda my job to look out for you now and I can't get used to seeing you like this- you hardly go out and you're quiet…"

"I'm getting there Jenna. I was heading down to the Grill now to meet Bonnie and Caroline, actually, and we have that party tomorrow." Jenna looked relieved when she said this.

"Okay, well that's good news to my ears. Just- don't stay out too late, don't do anything illegal and uh, all that stuff." Jenna recited. Elena laughed.

"Don't worry, Aunt Jenna, I'll be fine."

It was actually quite nice to get out and socialise again. The Grill was always a hub of activity in Mystic Falls, being the place literally everybody went to. She wasn't at all surprised to see Jeremy was there, getting up into Tyler Lockwood's face as Vicky, Matt's sister, tried to diffuse the tension. She avoided Matt's gaze as she headed over to where the girls were sitting.

"So Stefan is from Mystic Falls, but he hasn't lived here since he was little," Caroline was telling Bonnie as Elena sat down, "And most importantly, he doesn't have girlfriend!" Caroline looked extremely happy to be sharing that last piece of news as she turned to greet Elena. "I saw him talking to you earlier outside the men's room."

"Yeah, I bumped into him again." Elena admitted, "It was a little awkward."

"Ooh, please tell me you didn't waste your opportunity again and actually flirted a little." Caroline demanded.

"Um, well I didn't exactly flirt."

"He does seem to be your type, Elena- you always liked those muscle mystery men." Bonnie joined in the teasing with a smile. Elena laughed.

"Guys come on," She said, without any follow up.

"Come on what? He's hot." Caroline stated.

"And I think he likes you." Bonnie added.

"He doesn't even _know_ me," Elena rolled her eyes, "And even if he did-" Somebody cleared their throat behind her and she turned in her seat to find Stefan himself stood there.

"Hey, I heard this is where everyone goes, so…" He shrugged awkwardly.

"Feel free to join us." Elena offered him the remaining seat at their table, both to be polite and to satisfy Caroline's excitement. "These are my friends Caroline Forbes," Stefan shook the blonde's hand on introduction, his other hand on the back of the chair he was about to pull out, "And Bonnie Bennett." Stefan leant over to shake Bonnie's hand too but as he did so, Bonnie's eyes closed and she gasped out loud. She released his hand quickly, a look of dread on her face all of a sudden. Elena gave her a questioning look and Bonnie shrugged it off. Stefan took his seat.

"So how are you finding Mystic Falls, Stefan?" Caroline asked him perkily. As he answered, Elena's attention drifted across the room. Jeremy seemed to have left, but Matt, Vicky and Tyler were still stood up at the bar, though Matt was working. Elena's eyes moved past them, drifting across semi-familiar faces from school and around town, until something caught her eye as her vision crossed the shadowy corner leading into the kitchen. For a moment she'd seen the outline of a person- but it must have been a trick of the light because the image vanished as soon as she looked back. Her heart in her throat, Elena tuned the conversation back in.

"Yeah so it's just gonna be this whole big thing- you know, bonfire and stuff- everyone's going to be there. You should come." Caroline had arrived back at tomorrow's party again, and her ultimate plan to get Stefan to attend.

"Oh, I don't really, uh, party." He laughed awkwardly.

"You have to come, it's a Mystic Falls High tradition!" Caroline exclaimed, while Bonnie laughed.

"Well, maybe I mean- are you going, Elena?" Stefan asked her. Caroline and Bonnie exchanged looks which plainly said 'I knew it!', though this was lost on Stefan as he gazed at Elena.

"Yeah, I am- it'll be fun." She answered, suddenly tired all over again. She just didn't have the energy for these high school dramas, she decided- they were not as fun as remembered them being and besides, she felt no particular connection to Stefan as much as Caroline may imagine. Elena was sure Caroline was only trying to clarify this before she swooped in to take him as her own prey. Well, Care was welcome to Stefan as far as Elena was concerned- she was just happy to have made a new friend.

Elena did offer to drop him home though, as Stefan didn't seem to drive. This friendly gesture was taken with wide eyed glee by Caroline and even a suggestive smirk from the less excitable Bonnie. Elena rolled her eyes as she started the car and Stefan noticed.  
"What was that for?" He asked her.

"What? Oh." Elena laughed, "Just girls being girls."

"I see." Stefan nodded, "Your friend Caroline is very, uh…"

"I think the polite term is 'bubbly'," Elena supplied with a smile, "Caroline is a good person, she's just very…"

"High school," It was Stefan's turn to put a name to it. Elena nodded and laughed again. Stefan cocked his head to the side at her laugh. "Sorry if this seems like a weird thing to say, Elena, but that laugh sounded like it was the first in a while." Touched by the surprise of that, Elena tried to recall the last time she'd properly laughed; unable to, she realised it must have been quite a long while ago. Had her life really become that morose?

"It was," She said out loud, sounded shocked to her own ears, "I think I need to try doing it more often." She frowned out at the dark road before her, which was lined by tree's either side. "Where…"

"Two right turns and then a left. It's kind of out on the borders there." Elena had passed by the old Salvatore Boarding House plenty of times as a lifelong resident of Mystic Falls but she had never paid it much mind except to note that it was a large and very beautiful Civil War-era building. Most of Mystic Falls' buildings were of that period or the Antebellum south before it but Elena had never paid much heed to architecture.  
"You should laugh more, Elena," Stefan agreed after a moment, "It's healthy." Something in his voice piqued her interest and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It sounds like I'm not the only one who needs a laugh." She suggested tactfully.

"I think you're right." His brow remained furrowed and brooding as they pulled up outside the house. Before Stefan got out of the car, he looked across at Elena. "Thanks a lot for the ride home and the talk. I've…. Enjoyed getting to know you a little."

"You too." Elena was pleased to note that she didn't feel like she was lying as she might have done a few hours before. Stefan definitely had more to him than met the eye, she could feel it, "So, I'll see you in History?" She said.

"I'll see you then."

In some alternative version of her life, somewhere out in one of the parallel universes to hers, Elena Gilbert would probably be falling rapidly in love with Stefan Salvatore. He seemed to be what she needed come right at the best moment for it- somebody new and interesting who would breathe life back into- well, her life. And she had meant it when she said she enjoyed getting to know him- he had been good, amiable company and he had the edge of being intense and brooding to add to his appeal. But despite his good looks, Elena felt strangely hollow.

" _You want a love that consumes you."_ It was too early to think of love; that was for sure. Better she live in the here and now- but that of course meant that she had to stop living in the past. As Elena climbed the steps to her porch, she was able to realise for the first time that her parents were dead and not coming back without the pain eating her alive. It still made her sad, that was true- but they would have wanted her to be enjoying her life, not locking up her heart and watching life pass her by.

Her hand was on the door handle, about to enter her house, when a voice from behind stopped her:

"Elena."

 **A/N: Dun dun DUNNNNNN….. chapter two! I will admit that I semi-borrowed some lines from TVD which don't belong to me, I'm sure you recognise them from the show. I just want to remind everybody that I don't own The Vampire Diaries. I only own what you don't recognise here. Anyway… I hope you like this chapter. I hope you can see that I am drawing Elena out of this sort of living Smith's song a little bit by bit. And that there is more excitement on the way to be promised!**


	3. An Animal Attack

**Chapter Three: An Animal Attack**

"Elena." Not having heard anybody come up behind her, Elena yelped as she span around to face whoever it was. When she saw the culprit, time seemed to stand still for a moment. There of course stood Damon. Tall, dark, handsome and with those never unnoticeable glaringly blue eyes, he was stood calmly a few steps away from her, almost as if he was approaching with caution.

"Damon?" She murmured his name uncertainly. Now that she was really face-to-face with him, she wasn't sure what to do. How was she going to raise the questions she wanted answers to? It didn't help that there seemed to be something about him that made her nervous- something about his lean but strong form and the confidence he held himself with.

"I thought you recognised me earlier," He sounded thoughtful, "But you shouldn't have."

"I…" Elena stammered. "Look, I don't know what happened that night- I don't know why I forgot you or why I then remembered you. None of it made sense to me, I… I've been going crazy thinking about that. About everything you said… even though it was the least important part of the night I keep thinking about it and I… I saw you and I just…"

"Elena, this is important: did you mention meeting me that night to anybody?" He was suddenly right in front of her then, looking intensely down at her, though she didn't seem to recall seeing him move.

"No, I…"

"Nobody?" He repeated to make sure, and she shook her head. Damon swallowed, seeming to relax a little. He said no more but turned to walk away as if anybody could do that given their situation. Elena wasn't sure what made her say it, but it came bursting out of her all of a sudden as she looked at his retreating back:

"My parents died that night," She called. Damon stopped abruptly, "After they came for me, we were driving home and we… we drove off the bridge. It was an accident but… I survived and they didn't." Damon slowly turned back around to face her, "So I didn't get what I wanted, like you said I would. I got… I got nothing. I got made an orphan." Something like a shadow seemed to cross his face even though it was all darkness.

"I'm sorry about your parents, Elena." Damon said. He sounded sincere, but whether he was or not, Elena wasn't sure. His face betrayed nothing. The main thing that she was glad for, though, was that her outburst seemed to have stopped him from walking away from her again. She swallowed.

"You called me Katherine. You said I looked like somebody you knew… called Katherine." Elena said this uncertainly. After all, that hardly seemed like the most important thing. She should be asking about how it was he had been able to make her totally forget- like magic. She didn't know why that really mattered either- except perhaps that if magic really did exist, maybe there was hope that the world would become brighter. Damon hesitated.

"You remind me of her a little." He told her finally, "She was, uh… she had the same sort of hair… and skin tone…" Damon looked extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden, "It was dark so I just mistook you… Look, I have to get going."

"Damon," Elena steeled herself for her final and most vital question. "Damon, how was it that you made me forget everything, just by speaking to me?" Damon hesitated, seeming to be assessing her somehow before he answered:

"I didn't though, did I?" And before she could say anything more, he was gone.

The party was in full swing the following night. Caroline truly was the queen of parties, and Elena had to admit when she arrived that it looked like it'd be a good night. The atmosphere was light and friendly, and the sky was clear for the view of the comet too.  
"Grams says the comet that's going to pass through is a harbinger of power," Bonnie told her, "Honestly I think the only power it's brought her is in whatever she's drinking these days."

"So you don't buy the whole psychic thing?" Elena asked.

"Well, not really. I mean, I do keep having these weird dreams but… I mean, Grams says that technically I'm a witch, not a psychic, but I don't know." They were interrupted at that moment by the approach of Stefan.

"You came!" Elena grinned. Stefan smiled ruefully back.

"Yeah, you twisted my arm." He replied. Bonnie drifted away, leaving the pair of them standing alone overlooking the party.

"It's not a bad party though," Elena pointed out.

"Everyone seems to be having fun." Stefan agreed. Over his shoulder, Elena spotted something she did not want to see- Jeremy on the apparent warpath, storming after Tyler.

"Some people are having a bit too much fun- sorry, I have to get this." She sighed, steeling herself for the inevitable battle that came whenever she found herself in a position where she had to play the protective big sister to a younger brother that wanted none of it. Stefan looked around. "It's my brother. I'll be back." She charged after him into the trees. "Jeremy!"  
It didn't take her long to catch up with him, and she hadn't even called his name again when he swung around to face her.

"Look Elena, I don't need this right now." He said immediately, "I have to-"

"Get into a fight with Tyler Lockwood? Who's older and stronger than you?" Elena demanded angrily.

"He treats Vicki like shit." Jeremy said obstinately.

"And that is _their_ business, not yours. Just stay out of it, Jer." She pleaded. "Go home."

"Back off, Elena." He stormed away from her then, leaving her helplessly among the trees. She hardly heard Stefan approach but he didn't startle her when he arrived by her side.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked her. Elena nodded. She wasn't sure that was true though. Her mind seemed so full of so many things. Stefan seemed to have some sort of inkling of this though, because he then made a suggestion: "Wanna go for a walk?"

Drinks in hand, Elena and Stefan strolled around the perimeters of the party. Elena winded up telling him more about herself and her parents dying. Lately, it did seem to help to talk about it rather than keeping it bottled up- she thought maybe, finally, she might be starting the healing process. It was still hard going, but Stefan proved to be a good listener.  
"It's hard losing your parents." He said sympathetically at the end of the story.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elena realised by the expression on his face, "I should have been more sensitive. Did they-?"

"Yeah, they did. They died… but it was a long time ago now." Stefan shrugged. "It gets easier, Elena." Elena smiled.

"I know." That was what everybody told her, but hearing it from somebody who had gone through the same thing made it more believable somehow. Stefan seemed reasoned and adjusted, so maybe she really could move on. They'd hardly made it back to the party though when something strange happened. It was only out of the corner of her eye as she made to refill her drink, but she saw Stefan- his face- changed. Imperceptibly, his eyes seemed to darken and for a moment the veins around his eyes seemed to rise to the surface. Elena looked at him properly, though, and she guessed it must be a trick of the light because the strange changes had vanished again, but he was looking away towards the trees. He furrowed his brow turned strangely away from Elena, and seconds later a cry went out.

"Help her!" The voice sounded like Bonnie's. Elena ran towards it without pausing to think, and only a little ways into the trees she found what was causing all the fuss: Vicki Donovan was lying on the leafy forest floor, unconscious, a horrific wound to her neck. Somehow, Stefan was beside her and he lifted her up easily from the floor.  
"Somebody call an ambulance!" Bonnie called, and Caroline promptly dialled. Elena saw Jeremy among the gathering crowd, a look of horror on his face. She made to go after him as Matt flew past her to accompany his sister.

"Jer!" She called after her brother, but he didn't look around and there were too many people between them. The party was definitely over.

The news of Vicki Donovan being attacked by an animal in the woods was all over the town the following day. Elena's phone barely stopped before she even made it into school, and she had an idea that Jeremy had left early in order to visit her in hospital. Sure enough, she came across him outside the school, as usual antagonising Tyler. It looked as if trouble was once again about to kick off from Elena's position- Tyler had squared up to Jeremy, but her brother had not backed away. Before she could take a step closer to them though, Tyler walked away. She hesitated on the verge of chasing Jeremy but then decided against it; he would only push her even further away.

The events of the previous night weighed heavily on Elena's mind the next day. She could tell Matt was in a bad way over the news and she couldn't blame him; Vicki had always attracted and caused trouble, but she was the only family Matt really had. Their mother was flighty and barely around, and no matter what else, Vicki was always there to look out for and protect Matt. She didn't understand Jeremy's interest in her though. Elena didn't doubt his feelings were genuine and from the heart but before their parents had died he never would have gone anywhere near Vicki. He'd been a good kid, artistic, well liked. The fact of the matter, though, was that her brother wasn't that kid right now. He was unhappy and acting out by taking drugs, partying and generally acting recklessly.

"Hey are you alright?" Bonnie asked her over lunch. Elena realised that she'd been staring off into space with her fork halfway to her mouth and not paying attention to her surroundings at all. She'd already been berated in her History class by Mr Tanner for not knowing the answer to a question.

"Yeah, sorry Bonnie," Elena replied, "I was just thinking about Vicki." She'd also been thinking about Damon but she didn't mention that.

"What kind of animal just attacks like that?" Bonnie questioned, "I mean, just out of nowhere? She wasn't even that far into the trees."

"I don't know… wolves?" Elena guessed, not having any idea herself. She didn't know much about the wildlife of Mystic Falls, just that her parents had always told her to be careful in the woods.

"I don't know. Wolves usually go in a pack… that was a lone animal." Bonnie frowned, her expression distant. "Something about that attack just doesn't add up…"

"Matt said the hospital would let him know once Vicki regains consciousness. Until then we won't know for sure what attacked her." Elena told her. Bonnie nodded, still looking disconcerted. Elena hesitated and then began, "Bonnie, I want to tell you something but it's going to sound crazy,"

"Elena." Stefan had arrived, interrupting them, "Hey, Bonnie." Bonnie looked up at him and only looked even more disturbed at the sight. She'd been acting strangely towards Stefan since she'd met him at the Grill and Elena kicked her under the table to remind her not to be rude.

"Hi, Stefan." Bonnie greeted him after a delay.

"We were just talking about what happened to Vicki, wondering what might have attacked her." Elena informed him. Stefan's brow furrowed.

"Some kind of animal attack I heard. It's not the first time something like this has happened in Mystic Falls- all kinds of things roam the woods, it's one of those things that happens every now and then in towns like this."

"I just hope she'll be alright." Elena said, and they all murmured in general agreement.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later on- you know, it's Friday and all that…" He looked at both Elena and Bonnie, but both girls felt that it was clear he was talking more to Elena.

"I have to spend time with my Grams tonight," Bonnie made her excuses quickly. Elena was going to decline too but then realised that she had no reason to.

"Sure."

"Come by mine later on and we'll hang out." Stefan said, walking away with a smirk. Elena watched him go, feeling strangely befuddled. Bonnie raised her eyebrows at Elena.

"What? It's not like it's a date or whatever." Elena said, frowning. Bonnie shook her head.

"Certainly sounds like one to me."

 **A/N: Thank you to the lovely person who reviewed. I'd love to get more feedback guys! Also I promise there is plenty more Damon to come.**


	4. Doppelgangers and Dating

**Chapter Four: Doppelgangers and Dating**

Elena approached the Salvatore Boarding House slightly uncertainly. The sun was still shining at this point but the trees surrounding the place cast it largely in shadow. In daylight it seemed even larger and more elaborate than ever and she felt dwarfed by its grandeur. She knew it was occupied by Stefan's uncle Zach and that he was staying with him. She knocked on the front door, which was slightly open, but after a few moments when she got no answer she pushed the door open and went inside.

"Hello? Stefan?" She called. The hallway she was stood in was panelled in classy dark wood, with paintings adorning the walls and Persian rugs on the floor. She drank in the sight as she moved further in. "Stefan?" She called out again, unsure. Elena hesitated and turned to leave again.

Out of nowhere, a wind billowed through the hallway and something dark streaked past her through the air with a squawk. Elena's mind barely had time to register the fact that it was a crow. It was not the first time of late she'd seen such a bird and though she wasn't superstitious, it always gave her a bad feeling. It was then she realised that the door was closed now. Elena turned and found herself almost nose-to-nose with none other than Damon.

Letting out a gasp of surprise, she took a step back.  
"W-what are you doing here?"

"Me? I live here," Damon smirked, "Well, that's not strictly true, but I'm staying here anyway. What are you doing just barging in here?" He countered her question.

"Staying here? And I, uh, I'm sorry I just- the door was open…" Elena mumbled confusedly, looking away from Damon. His blue eyes were dazzling her.

"You never asked me my full name, did you, Elena?" Damon said softly, as if to make up for frightening her, "It's Damon Salvatore. I'm Stefan's brother." She stared back up at him in shock at this news. Could it be true? It had to be, and yet, Damon was nothing like his presumably younger brother. He was the physical opposite- in colouring and in build- though she supposed there was something vaguely similar about them in their faces though it was something that would be hard to pinpoint.

"Stefan never said he had a brother." Elena said, once she felt able to speak again. Why wouldn't Stefan had mentioned his brother before? She talked about Jeremy enough for it to have arisen naturally in conversation. Damon simply let the unasked questions hang there between them for a minute before he spoke again.

"I'm being rude, aren't I? Make yourself at home, Elena, Stefan will be back soon." He led her into the living room. It was huge, lavishly decorated, and slightly overwhelming. "Drink?" He offered her, heading himself over to a decanter where he poured himself a large scotch. Elena shook her head.

"No thank you. Uh, where did Stefan go?" She asked.

"Just for a walk- probably chasing bunny rabbits." He grinned then but she was not sure why. "You know it's nice that you're spending some time with my brother. He seems to like you. I never thought he'd get over the last one, honestly."

"What?" Elena frowned. Her first instinct was to ask about whoever he was speaking about, but then she felt more importantly that she needed to put Damon straight: "Stefan and I aren't dating."

"No?" He looked at her for a moment longer than seemed naturally before walking around and settling himself on one of the couches. He leant back casually, crossing his feet at the ankle and laying one arm across the back of the seat. Elena for a moment had a flash of an image, where she was sat in the crook of that arm with Damon, content, while he brushed his lips across her hair… it was only a passing image but it felt so real that she was a little unsettled by it. She was wary of Damon after their previous, strange meetings but she still took a few steps closer to him.

"Damon, what-"

"Elena?" Stefan had entered the house now and was looking furiously in his brothers' direction.

"I invited her in to wait," Damon smirked. Elena immediately understood: these two brothers were not at all close- very much on the contrary, in fact. Stefan was glowering at Damon, who continued, "I wish you'd told me she was so charming." She also understood from this that Stefan had no idea that they'd met before and that he'd prefer they keep it that way. She was strangely relieved by this fact. Unsure of what she should say, she was also glad when Stefan intervened:

"Let's get going then, shall we."

* * *

Damon watched Stefan and Elena depart with interest. _"Stefan and I aren't dating,"_ that was what she'd said. Stefan wouldn't like that one, not that he cared- in fact, Damon was very pleased with this revelation because it would be a very valuable weapon against his younger brother.  
Elena was certainly interesting, at any rate. She was identical to Katherine in every way at first glance- and definitely just as beautiful as her physical counterpart, to boot. And yet, when you looked even a little closer it was immediately obvious that the two girls couldn't be more different. Elena's eyes were doe-like, wide and kind. She held herself completely different from Katherine too. Katherine liked to provoke and seduce, whereas Elena seemed to carry an air of caution with her movements.

Damon's humanity was switched firmly off. It hadn't been though, the first time he'd met her out on the lonely road. At that point, he'd definitely had a vendetta in mind. He knew Stefan was hanging around Mystic Falls again and he'd promised him an eternity of misery after all, and what was he if not a man of his word? But when lying in wait for his dinner, he'd instead come across a girl whose face was so familiar that it shook him. She'd been different then, he realised: she'd seemed light and more carefree; unworried. Why had she been able to remember him when he'd compelled her to forget they'd ever met? Damon supposed that the shock of the accident that followed had been enough for her to break free of his compulsion. Whatever the reason, it would have been better had she forgotten him. Still, she hadn't spilled the beans so far.

Damon drained the rest of his drink. His humanity was off. He was not supposed to be able to feel. But something was stopping him from covering his tracks by simply killing Elena, and he recognised a pang of empathy for the newly orphaned girl. Even more so, he felt sorry for her that she was being stuck with Stefan. One day when she was herself again she'd be stuck with a guy who was completely wrong for her. Elena Gilbert, deep down, was a bubbly and popular girl who needed to be set free to have fun, not be kept tied down by a brooding and unstable vampire like Stefan.

* * *

A week had passed by. Saturday's were once days where Elena would wake up early and go for a run before racing back home, showering and then heading into town usually to meet Matt or Bonnie and Caroline. Nowadays, they involved waking before the sun had ever risen, trying to push away the fringes of the nightmares she continued to have and get back to sleep with the vain hope that her rest would be undisturbed. Her dreams had changed a little though; now, in addition to the crow and the darkness, she saw fog surrounding her parent's graves. In the distance, through the fog, she saw a figure watching her but she didn't know who that was.

Giving up on sleep at the early hour of 7:52am, Elena got out of bed and headed downstairs, where she was surprised to find that Jenna was already awake.  
"You're up early." Elena commented. Jenna did not do the same, as Elena was always an early riser whether voluntarily or not.

"I need to head into school to use the library before the Founders party," Jenna rolled her eyes, "My draft thesis is due on Monday, otherwise I'd still be dead to the world. But there's coffee in the pot." Elena poured herself a cup gratefully and sat down. "I need to talk to Jeremy, too. Your History teacher gave me hell."

"Mr Tanner likes making people feel bad." He'd not been particularly understanding towards Elena as of late, though she knew she wasn't really entitled to ask for special treatment.

"Well he told me I'm doing a crappy job with you guys. And to be honest, he's right- Jeremy's getting out of control," Her Aunt grimaced in displeasure.

"You're doing fine. This isn't your fault, it's just… Jeremy." Elena felt that she was running out of angles to come at Jeremy about his drug use and general antisocial behaviour lately and could not remember the last time she'd had a conversation with her younger brother that didn't end with him storming off.

"Either way, it's down to me to do something." Jenna checked her watch. "Look, I have to go, I'll see you later, Elena."

* * *

Caroline Forbes was both a blessing and a curse. She was a blessing because she was weak and easily manipulated, giving Damon everything he wanted without any resistance be it blood or sex or errand. But she was a curse because she literally never stopped talking. His plan was simple. Get to the Founders party, retrieve the crystal, piss off Stefan, who'd no doubt be attaching himself to Elena by the hip, and then get out. As he tied the scarf around Caroline's neck to disguise the wound he'd left her, Damon looked into her eyes, concentrating on exerting his will on her.  
"Remember, you keep Stefan distracted. He's constantly suspicious of me."

"I'll keep him distracted. I'll ask him to dance." He was more than satisfied with this answer. It was not long before they arrived at the party at the Lockwood house, somewhere which hadn't changed much if at all in the past 145 years. Damon had already scouted the place by night to see what it was like now and he was glad by what he saw. He just had to hope that, with Caroline being the Sheriff's daughter and his surname being Salvatore, he'd be invited in.

"My mom is going to go nuts," Caroline stated as the pair of them waited in line to be greeted by Mayor Lockwood and his wife, "When she sees I'm with you she will flip." She didn't sound very upset by the idea, Damon noticed. "And Elena too, probably. I suppose she thought she had it all when she got Stefan." For Caroline, everything in life was a competition. Damon wondered whether she'd always be this insecure.

"Caroline, how lovely to see you!" Mrs Lockwood greeted her warmly as they reached the front of the line. "And you've brought a friend." The last part was not said in quite so friendly a manner, but then what parent was going to be happy to see their high school daughter dating an older stranger? Damon decided to go on the charm offensive.

"I'm Damon Salvatore, and I'm fascinated by this town's history as it's so close to my heart. I was honoured to be able to attend." Had it been overkill? But no, Carol Lockwood smiled.

"Salvatore? Then you must be a relation to the founding Salvatore family?"

"Distant." Damon confirmed. If only she knew that he was in fact the son of the very Salvatore who'd helped found this town.

"Well, you're very welcome to come in Damon. There's an official register with the signatures of those who attended the first Founders Day party." Satisfied, Damon stepped over the threshold, his heightened vampire senses twitching. Sure enough, it only took a few seconds for him to hear and smell Stefan and Elena in one of the rooms nearby. He steered Caroline towards said room, whilst murmuring in a voice low enough that only she could hear it:

"You remember the plan."

"Yes, I know." Caroline snapped, annoyed, "You've only repeated it to me like, eighty times."

"Well that way you won't forget it, will you?" Damon smiled dangerously, "Now come _on_." They caught up to where Elena and Stefan were stood viewing the first registry.

"…It says Stefan and Damon Salvatore." Elena looked strangely at Stefan as she said the words. Stefan opened his mouth and Damon could almost hear his brain on the verge of exploding as he tried to think of a cover for this.

"The original Salvatore brothers," Damon said, startling Elena, "We were named after them."

"Elena I love what you're wearing!" Caroline prattled. Damon noticed out the corner of his eye a few artefacts from the various founding families. The Gilbert's were not the only ones who had contributed; there were also items from the Lockwood's and Fell's, neatly labelled. The room itself had hardly changed since Damon was last in it- in fact, he was certain it'd never been redecorated, though perhaps some parts of the décor had been restored to retain their original grandeur. It was like stepping into a time capsule. And there, the centrepiece, was the place where he himself had signed his name in 1664. When Damon tuned back into the conversation, it was in time to hear Caroline ask if she could 'borrow' Stefan for a dance. Elena kept glancing apprehensively at Damon every couple of seconds, though she obviously thought he hadn't noticed.

"I don't really, uh, dance…" Stefan said abashedly. He never _had_ been any fun when he was on the wagon, Damon noted. If that was what drinking animal blood did to a vampire then he himself was going to stick religiously to human blood. It had crossed his mind many times that Stefan ought to have stuck to human blood anyway to learn to control his urges rather than resist it and end up turning into a monster when he had a taste of the real thing.

"Oh, go on!" Elena giggled, encouraging him perfectly. Stefan resigned and allowed Caroline to lead him away. Damon watched them go; his brother had already tried to poison him once that day and he was on the lookout for the second attempt. As it was, he was left standing with Elena. She was looking at him with the same confusion and curiosity which she always did. It was very distracting.

"I thought you said you weren't dating." Damon managed with his usual bravado.

"We're not." Elena replied, sounding a little bit like she didn't quite believe her own words.

"You hang out together just the two of you, you came to this party together…" Damon listed expectantly. Elena clenched and unclenched her fists nervously.

"It's… I don't know. I'm not dating Stefan." She said with difficulty.

"But Stefan is dating you." Damon replied. She bit her lip and once again, Damon was reminded that Elena was not Katherine. Katherine was never unsure of herself, or nervous. Katherine wasn't afraid of anything, it was one of the reasons he loved her. But, despite their being identical, it was hard to think of Katherine much of all in the presence of Elena. For some reason, the two couples he'd killed, plus Vicki Donovan, flashed through Damon's mind.

"Damon, are you ever going to tell me the truth?" Elena asked him, changing the subject suddenly. Damon was actually taken by surprise, which was rare.

"About?"

"Look, there is something… different about you and I don't know what it is. I'm not sure I like it, either." She was glaring at him. Maybe one similarity she had with Katherine was her perception, because it was definitely much more sharp than Damon would like. He considered compelling her but as that was what had started all this trouble in the first place, he thought that might be a bad move.

"Elena, what happened to you that night was awful and I'm sure everything you remember is a mess in your head-" She cut across him cleanly:

"You can't fob me off with that crap. I know something is up." He could have screamed out in frustration. Elena Gilbert was not going to let this go, he suddenly realised. Hanging around in Mystic Falls was a mistake. He'd known somewhere deep down that it was bound to be, as every visit back here had ended in nothing but trouble for him before, but he was here for a purpose that he could not walk away from this time. So, rather than either compel her or kill her, Damon unwittingly cracked open the door to his humanity a tiny but wider by taking the rational route.

"Elena, come and walk with me."

 **A/N: So what do you think? I think from now on I am going to switch points of view at times just to keep it fresh and also give a real idea of what's going on, but mostly this story is still going to be from Elena's point of view, so we'll only know what Elena knows and sometimes what Damon knows. Anyway, please please please please leave me a review I'd be so grateful!**


	5. A Mystery Wrapped In An Enigma

**A/N: Just so it's clear, I switched the order of events from 'Friday Night Bites' and 'Family Ties' as part of the changes made to events by Elena knowing about Damon. So in case you're like 'what, this is supposed to have already happened/ that isn't meant to happen yet', remember about artistic license please** **Neither of them follow the same sequence of events anyway and as time goes on it's most likely going to get further and further away from the show we recognise but I just wanted to say that now before you read on. Thanks !**

 **Chapter Five: A Mystery Wrapped In An Enigma**

Elena wondered what Damon was going to tell her as they walked the perimeter of the Lockwood garden. The sun was just going down and the fairy lights were coming on all around the place, giving it a warm and beautiful ambience. However, she only noticed this with the smaller part of her mind as they headed towards one of the bigger and noisier water fountains in the furthest corner. The greater part of her mind was focused on the fact that she may now finally get some answers.

The truth was, she still hadn't been able to decide why it was so vital that she make sense of her first meeting with Damon. Of course, a lot of it had to do with wanting to contextualise the events leading up to her parent's death, which was a natural part of the grieving process. However, she was prepared to admit to herself now that she felt drawn to Damon. He made her nervous beyond what was reasonable, and he had tried to wound her by commenting about Stefan's ex when he thought they were dating. And yet, for somebody with a carefree persona, she thought she saw something else there. Something about the darkness of him drew her in, though she didn't know what that was. It wasn't exactly attraction, either, because he wasn't exactly sure she even _liked_ Damon in general. Every time she had tried to find out more about Damon from his brother, Stefan had danced around the subject, though it was abundantly clear that the brothers had issues; for two brothers, in fact, to appear to dislike each other so much, Elena only had to assume a girl had been involved somewhere.

Damon turned to her and spoke: "Look, the truth is far too crazy for me to get into it. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I could show you, but that would be a very bad idea." Elena saw something like a shadow cross his face as he watched her reaction to this statement, but overwhelmingly she felt frustrated and impatient all of a sudden.

"You brought me all the way out here to tell me you're not going to tell me anything?" She growled furiously, "Do you enjoy making me suffer or something?"

"You think knowing everything is going to take away the pain?" Damon retorted, regretting the outburst as soon as he'd spoken. They stared each other down for a moment. Elena was determined to win but she had a lot less patience than Damon and her fury ebbed a little.

"So you've admitted there's something to know." She knew she had him there, and was quite pleased with the effect her words had on him. Damon was grinding his teeth together angrily, though he seemed to be angrier with himself than with Elena.

"I can't tell you everything. I only got you out here because I know you deserve to know given… well, everything about you." He gave her a look she'd noticed him giving her before, almost like he was trying to memorise every detail of her face, like he'd never see it again and as if he'd been desperate to see it once more for the longest time. Elena had no idea why she should interpret that look in such a way, but it was one of the things that, in a short space of knowing Damon, already drove her insane. That aside though, she realised when she was in no position to make demands; he was just a stranger, a friend's brother, who had happened to be there on the night her parents had died. She shouldn't inflict the effects of the grief on him, even if he was a jerk. Of course, she couldn't ignore what had already happened, or the fact she knew he was keeping something big from her. So, Elena settled on a sort of compromise:

"What _can_ you tell me?" Damon looked almost relieved that she'd met him in the middle, but he didn't speak, turning his head in the direction of the house.

"Not here. Tomorrow. I'll find you." He said out of the corner of his mouth. Elena squinted to try to see what he was looking at, but it took several seconds before Stefan became visible. She wondered how Damon had already seen him coming.

"I wondered where you'd gotten to." The words Stefan spoke could be seen as light and playful, and Elena would have assumed so if he hadn't said them stoically with an evil glare in his older brother's direction.

"We were just admiring the sculpturing on this fountain. Great work." Damon glowered in Stefan's direction. "What did you do with my date?"

"She was talking to somebody. You should really get back to her." Stefan added. The two brothers glared at each other for a second, but then Damon smiled.

"You're right, _brother_." He departed for the Lockwood mansion again, leaving Elena alone with Stefan. She watched Damon leave for a moment before turning to the younger Salvatore. Her face looked on his uncertainly as she searched for any signs that he was involved or knew anything about what Damon had to tell her. But Stefan lacked the unstable and mysterious air of his brother.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, with concern. Elena forced herself to smile and was surprised when doing so made her actually feel better. She had come here to have fun, after all, not spend her time chasing Damon Salvatore around.

"I'm good. You must have one more dance left in you." She took his arm and pulled him back towards the party. She wound up leaving early anyway. Caroline had tried several attempts to lure Elena into the bathroom to have girl talk but Elena was not in the mood anymore. She wondered whether she'd ever get back to actually being able to enjoy herself one of these days as Aunt Jenna drove her home. Jenna had run into her ex-boyfriend Logan Fell at the party and complained about him all the way home, and Elena teased her for clearly still liking him as she agreed to see him again. In spite of her feelings when she left the party, it was at times like that drive home where Elena felt normal again. She was not an orphan who had almost died in a horrible accident and she was not desperately unhappy. But when she lay in bed that night, trying to put thoughts of crows, Damon and watery graves out of her head, she didn't feel normal at all.

Elena didn't feel quite so miserable as she had when she woke up the next morning, which made a change. She grabbed her toothbrush and headed for the bathroom which she and Jeremy shared, only to open the door and find herself face to face with Vicki Donavan.  
Although she'd seen Matt's sister at a distance at the party the night before, she hadn't seen her close up since the night she'd been attacked. Reassuringly, Vicki looked chirpy, though embarrassed to find herself face to face with Jeremy's older sister. 

"Oh, erm, hi Vicki!" Elena said this far too cheerfully in order to try to compensate for the awkwardness.

"Oh sorry Elena, I'm practically done," Vicki began quickly.

"No, don't worry, take your time." Elena smiled but made a fast exit. Half-amused, she made her way downstairs to where Jenna was in the kitchen. Elena's raised eyebrows said it all to her aunt.

"Yes, I am aware that Jeremy had a 'friend' to stay. No, I didn't give him permission and I'm not supposed to condone it, but my little chat with him went really badly and if I keep telling him not to do stuff he's gonna make sure he does it." Jenna said quickly, before Elena could speak. Her niece just rolled her eyes.

"I'm not judging, I like Vicki I was just… not expecting to bump into her in the bathroom."

"You must have done that all the time over at Matt's," When Elena gave her a shocked look, "Yeah yeah I'm sure all those times you were at Bonnie's and Caroline's were great, and Matt was just at home alone with no parental supervision."

"Sometimes I really _was_ with Bonnie and Caroline." Elena said.

"Hmm," Jenna said teasingly, "Speaking of, what do they think of you dating Stefan Salvatore?"

"I'm not dating Stefan." Elena said automatically. She was getting quite tired of everybody assuming this- she was friends with Stefan, sure, and she did believe he had feelings for her but he hadn't pressed her on the issue. He was nice to hang around with, supportive and attentive, which was what she really needed these days. She knew, really, that she _should_ be dating Stefan, which just made it all the worse when everybody kept assuming that she already was; Stefan was perfect but she couldn't make herself feel that way about him.

"Well you went to the Founders Day party with him last night didn't you? That sounds an awful lot like a date." Jenna smiled mischievously.

"Stefan is great, but we're just friends. Seriously. Although," Elena sighed, "I was thinking of asking him and Bonnie over to dinner tonight. She's been saying she has a bad feeling about him and I'd like them both to be friends."

"Well have fun. I won't be back 'til late," Jenna's eyes gleamed.

"Oh right, you have that date with Logan!"

"Ugh, don't," Jenna tried to seem cynical and not bothered, but Elena had an inkling that the truth was otherwise, "He's a jerk."

"Yeah," Elena laughed, sipping her coffee.

"Alright, I'm out, have a good day at school." Jenna said, getting to her feet, "Get the juice with Jeremy and Vicki for me!"

Elena approached Bonnie in the parking lot on the way into school with the immediate plan of inviting her over for dinner that evening, but Bonnie was speaking to Caroline. Usually she'd invite her too, but she had a feeling that Caroline would bring Damon with her and although she wanted to speak to him- he had in fact promised- she didn't want to do it in front of anyone else, and she also didn't want Caroline's interference. Pushing the guilt aside, Elena noticed as she drew nearer that something was up. Bonnie seemed concerned and Caroline angry. Before Elena could find out more, Caroline stormed off.  
"Care!" Bonnie called after her, but Caroline didn't turn back. Sighing, Bonnie turned to Elena, "Hey."

"What's up?" Elena asked immediately.

"Caroline… Elena, I'm kind of worried about her. I asked her about her scarf and she got all defensive about it and said Damon gave it to her, but when I tried to ask about whenever he gave it to her- you know, the first present he's got her or whatever- she got mad and stormed off." Elena frowned, looking in the direction Caroline had gone.

"That's weird," She mused, "He's a real mystery wrapped in an enigma."

"He is?" Bonnie looked confused, "Honestly I think Caroline might just be having a psychotic breakdown. She did speak to Stefan though last night- she said he's really into you." Elena's stomach twisted uncomfortably at this, but she decided not to comment on that.

"Speaking of Stefan, you two are coming over to mine for dinner tonight." She informed her best friend. Bonnie immediately looked reluctant.

"Uh, tonight is no good for me." She stammered.

"Bonnie," Elena sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry Elena but I just have a-"

"Bad feeling about him, I know, you told me," Elena sighed, "But there's no reason for you to. He's nice, Bonnie, and I want you guys to also be friends. I don't want to have to keep all my friends in separate groups."

"Elena, I know it sounds crazy but when I touched him it felt like… it was the worst feeling in the world. Like death," Bonnie swallowed, "I don't know."

"Bonnie Bennett, you are my best friend and I want you there tonight. Trust me, you will like Stefan. Please?" Elena pleaded. Bonnie looked at her for a moment but then sighed, defeated.

"Okay, fine," Bonnie agreed, shaking her head. Elena smiled.

"Good!" She said, leading the way into school.

The day was uneventful. Damon didn't show up to explain, and Elena wasn't sure if he ever intended to tell her what he'd been talking about the previous night. Most of the kids from the founding families were tired from a late night of dancing, and Tyler Lockwood seemed to be in a particularly foul mood, not improved when Stefan not only caught but threw his football hard back at him. All the Lockwood men had famously bad tempers, Elena remembered as she found herself wandering down a hallway behind Tyler; his father was supposed to be even worse, though she wasn't sure in what way. It wasn't really surprising Vicki had turned to sweet Jeremy for comfort but she wasn't sure Vicki was going to be the best influence on her malleable and grieving younger brother. She didn't get a chance to speak to Jeremy about it, however. Matt also seemed troubled. He barely even responded when she waved to him on her way back to her car to head home.

Her phone buzzed as she fastened her seatbelt and she opened a message from Bonnie:  
 **'What time do u want me urs? Have cheerleading 1** **st'  
** Elena had considered returning to cheerleading this year, after having put it on hiatus when her parents died, but had ultimately decided against it. Although it was definitely a good idea to try to get back to normal and do things again, she didn't feel any enthusiasm for cheerleading anymore, despite having once loved it. She texted back a time to Bonnie before starting her car. A dinner party was a good start. **  
**


	6. A Meal To Swallow

**Chapter Six: A Meal To Swallow**

Dinner was tense at first. Bonnie was extremely reticent towards Stefan and Elena was struggling to keep up the inane chatter. She was beginning to give it all up as a lost cause when they arrived on the subject of their families.  
"So there's you and your brother. What about the rest of your family?" Elena asked Stefan, with genuine interest.

"It's really just us and my Uncle Zach now." He gave a slightly sad smile.

"What about your parents?" Bonnie asked, the first time she'd really addressed Stefan directly this entire time. The bad feeling she'd gotten must have been terrible for her to be so rude, Elena thought.

"They're… no longer with us." He replied with slight discomfort.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Bonnie said sincerely.

"What about your family, Bonnie?" Stefan enquired politely.

"Oh, not much to say really. Don't see my mom and my dad works a lot." Bonnie glossed over quickly.

"There's more to them than that- Bonnie's descended from a line of witches." Elena didn't understand the look Bonnie threw her when she revealed this information, but Bonnie didn't say anything about it.

"I'd heard there were a lot of, uh, supernatural stories that have taken place around Mystic Falls and much of the south, not that I'm too well read on the subject." Stefan said slightly off-handedly.

"My family came from Salem first." Bonnie admitted.

"Salem witches are famous as great examples of heroism and individuality." Stefan complimented, and Elena visibly saw the ice Bonnie had built around herself begin to thaw.

"Yeah, they are." She said, smiling a little. Relieved, Elena took a sip of her drink, but before either of the others could say anything more, the doorbell rang. Excusing herself, Elena made her way to the door to answer it. She hoped it wasn't Damon right now because she didn't want to have to explain to Bonnie or Stefan why he might call on her, but when she opened the door he was the first thing she saw. He wore his usual leather jacket and smirk, and it took her a moment to realise that he wasn't alone. Elena thought she might not have been more relieved to say Caroline Forbes in all her life.

"I heard you were having dinner so I got desert!" Caroline smiled cheerfully.

"Oh, I…" Elena's eyes darted back to Damon. She wasn't sure why she should notice now of all times but he seemed even better looking than usual in that moment, framed by the doorway which he was leaning against casually.

"I hope you don't mind." He said.

"No, of course-" Elena began, but she was interrupted by Stefan, whom she hadn't heard approach.

"What are you doing here?" He asked his older brother, looking angry for some reason. Damon smirked even more.

"Waiting to be _invited_ in." Elena wasn't sure if she was imagining the extra emphasis Damon placed on the word 'invited' or not, but she could almost feel Stefan's annoyance level increasing the longer they stood there.

"Yeah, come-" Elena started to say, but Stefan cut across her.

"No, no, he, um, he can't stay. Can you Damon?" There was a moment of tension where nobody said anything. Caroline caught Elena's eye she entered the house and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Damon." She called over her shoulder to him.

"We were just finishing." Stefan stated, glaring at his brother.

"It's fine, just come in." Elena sighed the last part. Damon grinned and made a big show of stepping over the threshold. Stefan ground his teeth together but said no more.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena." Damon said formally, meeting her gaze when he said it. Elena's heart skipped a beat and as if he'd heard it, Stefan looked straight at her.

"Thank you." She smiled wonderingly.

* * *

Damon watched Elena lead the way into the house with interest. Her heart had jumped when he looked at her. It would be quite amusing if she was falling for him instead of her brother- and perhaps the best revenge of all for Stefan stealing Katherine's affection away from him all those years ago. They all convened in the living room then, and Elena's friend Bonnie Bennett was there. She resembled her ancestor Emily strongly, Damon couldn't help but notice, but he had no idea if she'd inherited her powers or not. He brushed his thumb across his daylight ring, remembering.

"You guys are coming to the pep rally tomorrow right?" Caroline asked, seating herself so that she was partially draped across Damon. "Bonnie and I are cheering."

"You didn't go for the football team then Stefan?" Damon taunted his brother.

"I told him to try out," said Elena, "After he embarrassed Tyler Lockwood earlier."

"I decided it wasn't' for me." Stefan smiled, although it was more like a grimace.

"Well, you'd still better come. Damon will be there!" Caroline stated.

"We should definitely do some brotherly bonding." Damon agreed, concealing his amusement at Stefan's discomfort. "I'll bet Elena's going to support her friends."

"Yeah, even though she didn't come to summer camp this year. It's probably for the best because I have no idea how you'd ever get the routines." Caroline rolled her eyes. Damon gritted his teeth, finding her superficiality increasingly grating the more time he spent with her. Still, she willingly fed him her blood and she'd proved quite useful, especially when it came to stealing back the all-important crystal… which rightfully belonged, of course, to the Bennett girl sitting in the very same room.

"Elena, you don't really strike me as the cheerleading type." Damon said smoothly.

"Yeah well that's because she's been going through this whole phase since her parents died, she used to be fun." Damon saw Bonnie glare at Caroline for this, "I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course." She added, rightfully abashed. Elena didn't give any sign that what Caroline had said bothered her. Her brown-eyed gaze, so unlike Katherine's, flickered to him and for a moment he felt like a deer trapped in the headlights, so searching was she look she gave him.

"I'm sorry, Elena. Stefan and I have lost almost everybody we care about, including our parents." Damon said. He only said it to stick the knife into Stefan who looked fit to burst with anger.

"Let's not talk about this right now, _Damon._ " Stefan spoke his name like it was a curse word. Satisfied, but still wanting to add insult to injury, Damon conceded:

"Oh yeah, you're right, sorry. I shouldn't have brought her up." There were several moments of uncomfortable silence for Damon to revel in after that.

"Well, I'll go get us some drinks." Elena said, relieved to have thought of a reason to escape. When she reached the door she glanced back at Damon and he could tell she wasn't sure if she wanted him to follow or not. He made up his mind.

"I'll go help her." He announced, manoeuvring to get out from under Caroline. She looked at him in protest but he met her eyes, "You stay here, I'll only be a minute," he compelled her. Caroline turned and began some more inane chatter with Bonnie and Stefan while Damon made his way to the kitchen, where Elena was taking some clean glasses out of the dishwasher. "Hey," He greeted as he entered the room.

"Hey," Elena responded uncertainly. He could hear her heartrate pick up when he entered and apparently she was also getting sweaty palms, as she also fumbled then dropped the glass she was holding. Automatically, Damon caught it and handed it back to her. Elena blinked and he realised he'd done it again, this time moving with inhuman speed and agility. He cursed himself. He'd planned to keep some of the truth from her but if he kept giving himself away like this he'd have no choice but to come out with the whole thing. "Thanks." She said, sounding a bit disconcerted as she placed the glass on the side.

"I'm sorry, Elena," Damon heard himself saying out of nowhere, "You know, for the stuff I was saying out there about losing people. I was just trying to get to Stefan."

"Well, it seemed to be working." Elena said emotionlessly. After a few more moments of pottering about, she stopped and turned to him, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why anything? I mean, why be mean to Stefan? Why keep hinting at his ex? Why follow me out here?" Elena questioned. She crossed her arms uneasily but met his eyes all the same. "I don't get it." Damon pondered these questions. She had a point from where she was standing, he reasoned. Not for the first time, it occurred to him that he could just compel Elena to stop asking him questions and forget the night they met. It'd work this time, she had no vervain in her system, but again for reasons unfathomable even to himself, Damon didn't do it.

"I'm mean to Stefan because he deserves it. I hint at his ex because he deserves it. I followed you out here… because I wanted to talk to you." Elena stared at him. "I mean… I don't know, but you're different I guess. Anyway," He cleared his throat, "I told you already I was going to explain everything to you."

"Yeah but you haven't." Elena reminded him bluntly.

"Look, Caroline was the one who dragged me to this little dinner party. I only agreed to come because, well, I wanted to torment Stefan," And because he needed her to invite him in, "I _am_ going to explain what I can, God knows why."

"What did you do to Caroline, anyway?" Elena demanded.

"Do?"

"Yeah, she's acting weird and she flipped out on Bonnie for no reason earlier." Caroline had told him Bonnie had asked her questions about her scarf. He had of course compelled her not to take it off or to tell anyone the reason she was wearing it.

"I haven't done anything to Caroline, she's just crazy." Damon rolled his eyes, hoping that would cover the truth. "Elena, I…"

"God you guys are taking forever." Caroline burst in just then, "Damon, come on!" She pulled on his hand as she batted her eyelashes at him. Bonnie followed Caroline in, halting Damon in what he was about to do, which was compel Caroline to leave them. Although he wasn't sure how magical Bonnie Bennett was, he didn't want to risk her picking up on the fact he was a vampire- good witches usually weren't very fond of his kind.

"You know, I think I'm going to call it a night." He said instead. "Thanks so much for having me Elena."

"What?" Caroline whined. Stefan entered the room.

"I'll see you back at home, little brother." Damon smirked, heading for the door and dragging Caroline along with him.

"It's early." She complained.

"Stop talking and come _on_." Damon compelled her under his breath as they headed down the hallway to the door.

* * *

Elena was tossing and turning in her sleep. The dreams were still plaguing her by night and she often awoke several times as a result of them. Tonight, her sleep was no less disturbed. Anybody in the room would have heard her moaning in her sleep, would have seen her kicking and flailing about. Some part of her mind which was still conscious knew it was a dream but it didn't make it less vivid. She wondered in that tiny recess of her mind when the dreams would stop and she'd be able to have a calm night's sleep.  
That was when the dream changed. The fog that near-blinded began to clear and instead of being dragged through it with the shadows jumping out and running their hands across her, she was walking through it. Elena emerged on her feet into a beautiful meadow. The shadows became those of the tree's above, which disappeared as she stepped into the sunlight. The grass was dotted with daisies and buttercups and the air smelt sweet and floral. There was birdsong. The sound of it cleared her mind and her waking body stopped trying to run. She became still and peaceful. Slowly, she was lulled awake by the dream, as everything faded to bright white around her.

Elena's eyes opened and her momentary bliss became fear again when she saw a dark shadow leaning over her. She also felt a hand on her face. She opened her mouth to scream but the shadow came closer and in the very little light that got into her room, her brown eyes met blue.  
"Don't scream." Immediately she closed her mouth, unable to resist the command somehow. This did, however, enable her to recognise the shadow as Damon. He had come back, just as he had promised he would, though the early hours of the morning didn't seem like the most conventional time to do so.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Elena." His voice was soft and much gentler than she'd heard it before, "You were having a bad dream, weren't you?" He pushed her hair out of her face, his expression serious and concerned. "How long has that been going on?"

"I don't know. For a long time." Elena confessed. Damon made to move his hand away from her face but for some reason, she instinctively grabbed it and held his palm against her cheek. He smiled then, just for a split second, and Elena realised she'd never seen him genuinely smile before that- only smirk sarcastically. Damon wiped it off his face immediately, but she'd seen it. However, she then let him go and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Elena, I don't know why I'm telling you anything. I don't have to, and I don't want to… look, Elena, if I don't tell you then something is going to happen sometime soon and you're going to either figure it out or even worse, remain ignorant. If I was Stefan, I'd probably pretend that… well, I'd pretend things were different and lie to you. But I'm not going to do that." Elena frowned, not understanding.

"Damon, what are you talking about?"

"I'm no good with the whole, beating around the bush and giving things a sugar coating so I'm just gonna start with a fact: I'm a Vampire."

 **A/N: So, Damon has gone down a very different route from Stefan and told Elena what he is already! He has reasons though, reasons I think that fit his character and which will be explained. That's not to say the drama is over, no, far from it! There is loads more to come of course but I'd really love if you'd drop me a review telling me what you think so far :)**


	7. The Truth

**Chapter Seven: The Truth**

"I'm a vampire." That was what Elena thought Damon had said, but it didn't make sense. Was he out of his mind? Vampires didn't exist. Damon held up his hands before she could speak. "Hear me out. I know, trust me, _I know_ , how little sense this makes to you."

"I don't know what kind of joke you think you're playing on me, Damon Salvatore," Elena began, getting a little louder. Damon hushed her. He had decided not to tell her about Katherine, more than was necessary; she didn't need to know why he was back in Mystic Falls and she certainly didn't need to know that she was Katherine's spitting image. Instead, Elena watched as his eyes darkened and the veins around them began to stand out terribly against his skin. He opened his mouth and she saw that his canine teeth had become pointed and elongated- like fangs. Any argument she'd had for him died in her throat, and Elena Gilbert was afraid.

"Don't move." He said. Elena found her limbs were suddenly frozen and unable to move. "What I just did, was compel you. Vampires can do that- it's a kind of mind control. That's what I did the night that we met- I compelled you to forget me. It's extremely difficult to break compulsion, but a huge shock like the car going off Wickery Bridge can do it. That's what happened. That's why the memory came back to you and why nothing made sense- I never explained. I just compelled you."

Elena thought back to when she had woken up in the hospital. Nobody had been able to work out how she'd gotten out of the car. As she'd lay there, staring at the ceiling while painkillers were being pumped intravenously into her system, the first real thing she'd thought about was Damon. She'd wondered who he was and why she hadn't known before her body was being starved of oxygen.

"Those animal attacks- the two couples, Vicki Donovan- those weren't animal attacks." Damon informed her frankly.

"They were you." Under normal circumstances, she'd never have believed him. Vampires didn't exist, they were fictional, and everything that did exist and did happen could be explained rationally. But some of the things about Damon didn't add up rationally- the mild control, the speed and agility… and the same was true of Stefan. She remembered something similar happening to the veins around his eyes. It had only been for a split second, and when she'd looked back he had returned to normal so she'd assumed it was her eyes playing tricks on her. "And Stefan."

"Not Stefan." Damon corrected her, "Stefan doesn't drink human blood." Elena had read the 'Twilight' books, and though she'd been left unimpressed, in those stories the Cullen's didn't feed on humans either. But then again, the Cullen's sparkled in the sun too and neither Stefan nor Damon did that. Traditionally, of course, vampires couldn't go in the sun at all.

"You killed those people and you hurt Vicki." Her own voice sounded strangely calm to her ears, and somehow she didn't feel shocked. Damon had carried an aura of darkness with him ever since they'd met. "How do I know you aren't going to hurt me?"

"You don't," Damon admitted, "But I'm not going to. I haven't so far, have I?" Vampires bit people in the neck, ripping their throats out…

"But you've been feeding on Caroline." It was not a question.

"She's a semi-willing participant."

"She knows everything, then." Elena knew she should be running away from him now as fast as possible. She hadn't even asked how he'd gotten into her house, she suddenly realised- that would have been the most natural first question. And yet she didn't want to run away and she didn't want him to leave, despite what she was discovering and in spite of how much it horrified her to her core.

"Elena, Stefan and I grew up in a very different Mystic Falls from this one. We were turned in 1864- just before the end of the civil war. When I say that our… issues go back a long time, I mean, a long time. But my brother- I hate to say it- is a good guy. He's the type of guy you should be with." _Not me._ He didn't say it but she heard his words and suddenly knew that he was fully aware that she had mixed feelings towards him. "Vampires… we have a kind of humanity switch. So we can switch our emotions off just like that, and do whatever we have to do. I was just doing what I have to do."

"Which is what?" Elena sensed he had said more than he intended then. "Does this have to do with you and Stefan's ex?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, it's obvious that's why you have issues. Which one of you dated her first?" Elena, on the inside, was wondering how she'd found the peace of mind to keep her voice level. But Damon had been honest with her. He had admitted to her what he was, the things he had done, and he had not begged her forgiveness. She wondered how long she would have had to wait to hear the truth from Stefan, if she ever did. He was playing the part of brooding teenager very well. Damon made no pretences, she saw. And, he hadn't hurt her yet- despite having had so many opportunities to do so.

"Stefan's answer would most likely differ from mine." Damon replied to her question after a moment's thought.

"What is your answer?"

"We've never been sure which of us was really with us first. Katherine liked to play with her food." Damon admitted, but Elena's ears pricked at the name he mentioned.

"Katherine. That's what you called me that… that night. You said I reminded you of her." Her voice sounded breathless now but was still quiet.

"A little." She could tell from his reluctant grimace that he hadn't even meant to let that name slip- and it occurred to Elena too that although he had come out with the truth that he was most likely also concealing a lot of details from her.

"You said you _were_ just doing what you had to do. So what are you doing right now?" She asked him.

"Honestly, Elena?" Damon got to his feet, evidently having decided he'd said quite enough for one night, "I have no idea. Thank you for hearing me out." She nodded, but then leapt out of bed after him.

"Wait! Damon," She caught his hand as he turned and headed to her bedroom door. He turned back, his eyes meeting hers, "Thank you for… for telling me. I don't know what to really think yet but… you haven't hurt me. Please don't hurt anybody else, though. I won't be able to trust you…"

"I can't make any promises, Elena. But I won't hurt you, I swear." His eyes burned into hers with sincerity and for a moment she felt as if she was falling into two ice cold whirlpools. Elena let go of Damon's hand. "Elena, a vampire has to be invited into a house by somebody who lives there to get in at all. I realise I haven't been keeping a very low profile lately- Stef and Zach keep mentioning that- and where vampires go, trouble tends to follow, so be careful. And, please don't tell anybody about this."

"Nobody would believe me." Elena pointed out with a small, humourless laugh.

"I wouldn't say _nobody_." Damon told her seriously. Elena nodded in agreement, unsure of herself. "Goodnight, Elena. Sleep well."

She didn't sleep at all after that though- how could she? Everything she knew about the world had just collapsed around her and yet- so much more of it made sense now. Stefan's reluctance to talk about his past- obviously because his past was much longer and more varied than he'd like anyone to know; Damon's general behaviour was now explainable, though of course she did not know the whole story just yet. Now that she knew some of it though, she was determined to find out the truth. And although she'd promised not to tell anybody, she could surely talk to somebody who already knew. And that meant Caroline.

When the sun finally rose, she was surprised to find Jeremy and Vicki already up and about.  
"We'll be at the pep rally." Jeremy told Elena when she asked about his plans. He seemed happier now that he was spending more time around Vicki, which of course made her glad, but did not end her concerns. Vicki smiled slightly shyly at Elena.

"Gotta be there to support Matt." Vicki added. Elena nodded, trying not to let her dislike of this plan show.

"We'll be out pretty much all day before that though so we won't be in your hair." Jeremy smiled, leading Vicki by the hand as they made their exist. Elena rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, scrolling through her address book until she reached Caroline's name. She dialled. It only rang a few times before Caroline, forever the early bird, picked up.

"If you wanted to join the squad after all, you're too late." Caroline informed her teasingly.

"Are you at home?" Elena asked her friend.

"Duh, I have so much to do today before the rally tonight."

"So Damon isn't with you?" This question was asked with some trepidation. She wasn't exactly sure of everything vampirism entailed but she was sure super-hearing probably went in hand with super-speed.

"No, I couldn't sacrifice my beauty sleep with a day like this ahead and besides, the loser said he was going out last night after dinner and to quit bugging him." Elena could almost hear Caroline rolling her eyes.

"Caroline, I _know_." Elena told her. Caroline's intake of breath told her she'd understood, but she wasn't foolish enough to spill the beans straight away. "Damon told me uh… in the kitchen last night, when we were talking." She didn't think Caroline would appreciate the true version of events leading up to Elena knowing.

"We need to talk."

* * *

Damon was snooping around Stefan's room. He'd done it before of course, making fun of him for his emotional diary entries and fussy collection of belongings, as well as the ridiculous hints of the human life Stefan was trying to pretend to lead. He knew the reason Stefan stayed away from human blood; he believed that because in the past he'd ripped people to pieces, that it always had to be that way. He'd never learnt to control his bloodlust and had gone so far to stop himself having to feel the guilt he felt afterwards, that he was denying who he really was.  
On the outside, Damon appeared to disdain his younger brother for choosing not to live life as a monster. The reality was, he knew that burying your head in the sand only led to more people getting hurt in the end. That had been a lot less cut and dry when his humanity switch was off, as it'd been easy to just laugh at Stefan, but now he realised the truth was that he cared for his younger brother.

He may not have all his emotions switched off anymore, but Damon was not quite ready to re-join the living. After he'd told Elena the truth and admitted that he had no idea what he was doing, he had decided to refocus his energies on getting Katherine out of the tomb. In order to do that though, he'd have to make sure he never let on to Stefan that he was not an emotionless killing machine.

That was when he found it. Stefan still had a picture of Katherine, dated 1864; the year she'd turned both of them from humans into vampires and in on each other. He had been so hell-bent on freeing her for the past 145 years that it seemed his entire existence was devoted to the woman that'd drove him mad. It was only since he'd seen her physical beauty transplanted onto Elena's kind soul that he was aware something was not right. He'd been in love with Katherine for three lifetimes, cruel, captivating Katherine. But was it love or obsession? He pondered this as he looked upon her face. He had spent so long yearning to see that face again.

He didn't glance up when Stefan entered. "You say you don't care about her anymore but you kept this."

"You have to hold onto even the most unpleasant memories, Damon. You know that." Stefan told him wryly. "Where did you go last night?"

"Why do you care?" Damon responded, "Yesterday it was all ' _I want nothing to do with you Damon, get out of my life or I'll kill you'_. Now you want to make pleasant chit chat."

"I know you can get into the Gilbert's house now. If you hurt any one of them-"

"Trust me, brother, the Gilbert's are fine. I have no interest in your beloved Elena, her pothead brother or her clueless aunt." Damon replaced the photo of Katherine on Stefan's desk. He'd thought about burning it but then decided against it. "I went out to eat if you must know. Tiramisu at a dinner party isn't the most satisfying meal for me. Not that you'd know much about satisfying meals."

"I'm going to find out what you're up to Damon." Stefan told him with dead certainty. Damon believed him, though he didn't show it. He just had to get some of the evidence out of the way before Stefan came across it to buy himself some time.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Elena, Damon held me up." Caroline breezed as she and Elena took a walk through the trees. "He gave me this crystal, said to look after it as a family heirloom," She held it up- it was large, square and had a dark yellow stone set into it, "It's ugly, isn't it?" Elena couldn't help but agree, but now was not the right time to be discussing jewellery as far as she was concerned. Before she could raise the subject herself, however, Caroline did:

"Elena, you need to listen to me. Damon is dangerous." She glanced around them as she said it, as if afraid Damon would overhear. "Sometimes I have no idea what's going on, or why I'm doing what I'm doing, I just know that he told me to."

"Like what?" Elena asked, grabbing Caroline's hand, "What did he make you do?"

"Nothing big really. Just, distract Stefan so he can speak to you, or wear a scarf, or let him feed. I mean, I let him feed anyway because I wanted to- it's sort of hot, you know?"

"Caroline. That's really messed up." Elena said stoically.

"I know it is! I just… I need him there at the pep rally. I know it's totally superficial but everyone knows my hot older boyfriend is supposed to be coming and I have a reputation to uphold. After that, trust me, I'm getting the hell away from Damon Salvatore and you should stay away too." Caroline's expression was deadly serious.

"He was there the night my parents died." Elena whispered.

"What?" Caroline gasped.

"I met him the night my parents died. He… compelled?... me to forget, but the shock of the accident let me remember. I had to know the truth, Care, I had to understand and… well, now I do, I guess. I just don't know what to do now. It's just raised more questions than it's answered and Damon…"

"Elena Gilbert, I know that look on your face and DON'T. Damon Salvatore is a terrible person, okay? Stefan, however, is a great guy and you should give him a shot. Really." For once there was no trace of the typical high school gossip in Caroline's voice or face.

 **A/N: First of all I'd like to thank TXKat and Candy Momo, not to mention the guest in chapter one, for your lovely reviews. They have been very encouraging and constructive for me and make me want to keep on writing. For everyone else, I'd love it if you gave me some feedback too, it'd mean the world. I'm having so much fun with this fic. Thanks so much for reading!**


	8. Fight Night

**Chapter Eight: Fight Night**

"Elena," Stefan approached her in full football gear. Despite the festivities around them, Stefan looked serious as usual and more than that, he actually appeared nervous. Elena wondered whether Damon had told Stefan that she now knew the truth. However, the reason for his nerves became clear when he spoke, "I was wondering whether… you know, as kind of a good luck charm… you'd wear this." He handed her a small silk covered box. Elena glanced to the side and saw Matt watching them with jealousy etched across his face. She looked away.

"Oh, um, I wasn't expecting this." She said breathlessly.

"Well it's sort of an heirloom and, well, I thought it'd suit you. It's supposed to be a good luck charm and a, uh, gesture of friendship, if you like." He put a little inflection on the word friendship, as if he was reading her mind. And perhaps he was, Elena couldn't be sure. But she appreciated that Stefan was trying to respect her wishes and opened the box accordingly. Inside was an unusual silver locket with a small red stone set in it. As she lifted it to her face, she caught a whiff of something.

"Is that… lavender?" She guessed.

"No, it's a herb… smells nice, huh?" She nodded with a smile and looked into his handsome face.

"It's beautiful Stefan, thank you." He had better taste than Damon anyway, what with that huge ugly crystal he'd placed into Caroline's care earlier. She moved her hair out of the way so that he could fasten it around her neck. It felt cold against her skin once it settled there, and she turned and kissed him on the cheek. "Have a goodnight." He smiled and stalked off in the direction of the bandstand. Elena touched the necklace again wonderingly. That was when Bonnie approached.

"Have you seen Caroline? She's going to kill me but I couldn't get away from Grams earlier." She said.

"No, but you're one dead psychic." Elena quipped, her mood improved by Stefan's gift despite herself.

"Oh, don't joke about that please. I keep having these dreams where I keep seeing the same numbers… 8, 14, 22. I feel like it could mean something, you know. Something bad." Bonnie said worriedly, glancing around herself.

"And I think you've been drinking your Grams' best brew too much lately." Elena smiled, "Good luck with the routine, Bon."

Tanner riled the crowd up accordingly until everyone was shouting 'Go Timberwolves!' at the top of their lungs, underage kids sipped at alcohol they'd snuck out from their parents' cabinets and Jeremy canoodled with Vicki, much to Tyler's annoyance. It was some time into the rally that the fight broke out between them. Jeremy threw the first punch, only to be pulled back by Vicki. Tyler merely shoved her aside and went at Jeremy, as Elena hurried towards her younger brother. She'd known this fight was coming, but she was no happier to see it finally come.

She hadn't made it all the way over there when Tyler smashed the bottle. He was aiming for Jeremy with it and the gasps of shock and protest around spurred her onto a run but before she could get more than three steps closer, out of nowhere, there was Stefan. He grabbed the bottle by the jagged edges and tossed it away, shoving Tyler easily before he could get any closer to Jeremy. Vicki stormed off, and Elena seized her brother.

"What the hell was that, Jer?" She demanded of him. He merely batted her hand away and stormed off after Vicki, as usual leaving Elena standing there feeling stupid. She sighed and turned back to Stefan. His hand had been cut by the bottle. Unsure of what the protocol for vampires and bleeding actually was, she merely decided on the spot to pretend she remained ignorant of Stefan's true nature. "Are you okay? Your hand…"

"It's fine." He moved to hide it, but not before she glimpsed what was no more than a scratch. Remembering her thoughts of the night before, Elena decided to try to find out how easy it'd be to get the truth from Stefan.

"You cut yourself." She said, injecting uncertainty into her voice.

"No, see," He wiped his hand on his pants and then showed her his palm, "It wasn't my blood you saw." His palm was fully healed now, with no trace of a sign it'd ever been cut. Elena looked up at his face.

"Oh." There was an awkward pause, and then she admitted to him, "Jeremy wouldn't speak to me." It was not the first time she'd complained to Stefan about these slights by her brother, but it was the first time she'd mentioned it since she'd known the truth about he and _his_ brother- or at least, some of the truth. Still, she reminded herself, Stefan had been a good friend to her lately and this was a good way of being nice to him without having to actually face him just yet. He took the bait.

"I'll go after him, he might listen to a guy." Stefan seemed just as glad to escape the awkward moment as she was and was after Jeremy like a shot. Elena watched him go, feeling torn.

The party atmosphere was most definitely over now. Most people were already heading back to their cars, night spoiled by Jeremy and Tyler's fight. Longing for the days when Jeremy was a smart and creative kid with nice friends and a cute smile, Elena gave up and headed back to hers. She didn't feel like speaking to anyone and had regretted since her arrival her decision to actually show up when she had so much on her mind. When she got back to the parking lot, though, she found Damon waiting for her by her car. For a second it occurred to Elena that she should be running hard in the opposite direction from him, but all her spirit had left her when Jeremy had shoved her away. Instead, she simply ignored him as much as was possible for somebody who was leaning up against the bonnet.

"Did I miss all the fun?" Damon asked her teasingly.

"You shouldn't be here Damon." Elena yawned. She hadn't slept at all the night before thanks to him and she had no interest in missing out on yet more sleep for the same reason. Before she could open the door though, she found him standing in front of it, blocking her. Disconcerted, Elena blinked up at him. "Look, stay away from me and from my friends, okay? I promised already that I wouldn't spill your secret."

"I need to talk to you." Damon was staring into her eyes, and Elena stared stoically back. His pupils dilated rapidly as she met his gaze but for once she didn't feel like she was drowning in it. He didn't break his stare and she was determined not to lose this staring contest. But then Damon sniffed and his eyes travelled to her throat, where her new necklace sat against her olive skin. "Vervain." He spoke the word softly.

"What?" Elena frowned.

"Let me guess: Stefan gave you that necklace." Elena nodded, "Elena, it contains vervain- it's a sort of ward against vampires. It stops us from being able to compel you." So that'd been what he was trying to do- he had been trying to compel her to stay and talk to him, but it hadn't worked. She touched her necklace again, real gratitude to Stefan flooding through her.

"Good," She said savagely, "I don't want you doing to me what you're doing to Caroline." Damon looked surprised at the venom in her voice. Elena herself was unsure where the anger was coming from, yet something told her it might have to do with the huge vat of knowledge he'd dumped on her the previous night without further ado. Damon's stare was steady.

" _Fine_. I don't need to compel you anyway." He shook his head and turned to walk away.

"What did you want to talk about?" Elena cursed herself as the question left her mouth- she'd given in already, proving him right. Damon smirked at her as he turned around.

"Actually, I was going to speak to you about your pseudo-boyfriend. You know he's a bore, right?"

"You came here to try and get a rise out of me about Stefan?" Elena rolled her eyes, "Why do you even care if I date him or not?"

"I don't. I just wanted to warn you- once he wants something, he won't stop going after it until he has it. Very predictable. So you know… nice necklaces are pretty much a staple."

"I'm quite sure he only gave me this necklace to protect me from _you"_ Damon didn't challenge this. He leaned in closer to her instead, so that their faces were mere inches apart. Elena's breath caught in her throat.

"Maybe I'm not the one you need protecting from." Elena blinked and Damon was gone.

* * *

Damon was angry. Elena had him on the question of why he cared whether she was dating Stefan or not. Why did he care? He didn't, he reminded himself. He only cared because she reminded him of Katherine, and he was desperate to get Katherine back. The fact that in reality he thought of Katherine and Elena as two very different people, no matter how alike they looked, didn't come into this. Damon was heading towards Caroline when his senses informed him that Stefan was behind him, in the shadow of the school building.  
"What do you want?" He snapped at his younger brother, wheeling around.

"You shouldn't have come tonight, Damon." Stefan said harshly.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" He demanded of the air around himself. "Caroline wanted me to come and so I did. I haven't even bothered you."

"Your being here bothers me." Stefan retaliated. Damon rolled his eyes. He was quite tired of all the petty arguments with Stefan now.

"You are everywhere I go! If you want me out of my life then you would let me get on with things instead of harassing me every five minutes, telling me what I can and cannot do," Damon ranted, "Sorry if my presence ruined your pathetic attempt to be human."

"The reason I'm harassing you, Damon, is because I know that this is all an act- you're here because you want to be, you don't give a crap about Caroline! You go around acting like you don't give a damn but the fact is, I know you do."

"Uh, no I don't Stefan- I'm a vampire. I don't care about any of these people and neither should you. I'm done with this hero act of yours- you can't save me because there is nothing to save!"

"If that was true you wouldn't be behaving yourself- your humanity is still there, Damon, underneath this." Stefan said flatly. Furious, Damon felt himself changing as he came up close to Stefan. He was tired of his brother trying to push him around- it didn't work, and it was nothing more than an annoyance to him. A door opened nearby and a teacher left the building- a middle aged man in the Timberwolves gear, so Damon took him to be a coach.

"Behave? I'll behave however I want to, I don't need you to tell me. If you think there is anything here for you- you're wrong." He seized the man who was still too far away to hear what they were saying, and ripped out his throat with his teeth. The blood gushed into his mouth and he drank greedily for a minute, enjoying the feeling as the blood trickled down his waiting throat. "There is nothing here for you to save Stefan- my humanity or whatever? I don't need it. You can keep it." He tossed the coach's body on the floor. He could feel the hot blood around his mouth and dripping down his chin but he didn't care. He turned and stormed away. He could hear explanations of shock and horror behind him as more kids came across the body of the man he'd just killed, but he didn't look back- he couldn't afford to be caught at a time like this anyway.

His anger with Stefan's interference and Elena's ignorance was still ringing in his ears when the stake went through his stomach. He'd somehow been so lost in his rage that he hadn't noticed that Zach was waiting for him. Growling in pain, he lunged for his great-great-nephew, but before he got anywhere, Zach had stuck a syringe in his chest. The last thing he knew was pain before he passed out from the vervain that was now in his system.


	9. The Price of Freedom

**Chapter Nine: The Price of Freedom**

Elena was making breakfast a few days later when Jenna made her announcement:  
"I'm seeing Logan again tonight, after he's done with covering the car wash." Elena grinned at her aunt. She'd been in a better mood since her argument with Damon, for whatever reason, in spite of the fact that she now knew the truth about he and Stefan.

"I thought you only dated him to rip him to pieces." She teased, quoting Jenna's original stance.

"Yeah well I have a fatal attraction to jackasses, what can I say?" Jenna rolled her eyes. "Speaking of attraction, you haven't hung out much with Stefan the past few days."

"Oh, um. He's been busy," Elena lied. The truth was, she hadn't even seen Stefan since the pep rally- nor Damon for that matter. She knew Caroline was avoiding the latter and other than that, she'd been asked a few times about where Stefan might be seeing as he hadn't been going into school. She was relieved, really, that she hadn't seen him because it had given her time to mull things over. She trusted Stefan not to hurt her or her family based on the fact that he didn't drink human blood. Caroline had informed her that that made him weaker than Damon, though, and although he had promised he wouldn't hurt her he hadn't made any promise about anybody else. His honesty redeemed him a little in her eyes but he had still killed the travellers and campers and had attacked Vicki, and she also had a feeling that he was responsible for Mr Tanner dying minutes after he'd left her at the pep rally, though she had no proof. Bonnie had seen his body surrounded by the same numbers she'd kept envisioning and this fact had shaken both of them, even if Elena didn't admit it. But, the matter at hand was Stefan:

"I thought you two were, you know." Jenna waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Elena rolled her eyes.

"I know I've said this a thousand times already, but Stefan and I are _not_ dating."

"Okay, okay, fine. What about Matt?" Jenna added.

"What about him?" Elena's voice sounded bored to her own ears. What was wrong with her? She couldn't even work up any kind of enthusiasm for her best friend.

"Are you seriously telling me there's not one boy you're crushing on right now? I had a new crush every week in high school." Jenna gave her a very knowing look and in spite of herself, Elena felt uncomfortable. Why did Damon have to come to mind so readily? Elena sighed.

"Honestly after everything that's happened I think I'm just focusing on myself right now."

"Well you're a lot more sensible than I was at your age." Jenna laughed. Elena smiled, feeling the tension leaving her again.

"Well I have to get going soon for this car wash or Caroline will have my head. If I don't see you before, good luck with Logan." Elena wished her.

Caroline could not have picked a more perfect day to hold the school-organised car wash. The sun was burning hot and the water that the girls were being splashed with was probably a blessing. Elena however was relieved that she would be manning the desk where people signed up and paid, not actually washing the cars, like Bonnie. She could see her friend scrubbing away at someone's vehicle with a frustrated look on her face.  
"Is that what you're wearing?" Caroline indicated Elena's blouse as soon as he arrived. "Never mind. Just remember, no pay-you-laters. I have to make sure everything's going smoothly." Caroline flounced off before Elena could say a single word. Resigned, she sat down at the desk. This was going to be a long day. It was not long before Stefan showed up, however.

"Hey, where have you been?" Elena greeted him.

"Yeah sorry I was sort of… tied up with family stuff." Stefan grimaced, "All's fine though. How are you?

"I'm good." She smiled.

"Not washing any cars then?" He grinned.

"No, thank God. Apparently this car wash is a big deal, though." He cast his eye around at all the girls in their bikinis scrubbing away at the cars. Elena supposed that any straight male would find it a sight to behold, though she was glad that she was covered up so that Stefan didn't get any more ideas than he already seemed to have. There were a few people waiting to pay now though, so Stefan took a step back. "Sorry, I'll let you get on with your job. See you later." He departed and Elena turned back to her first 'customer'. It was an old man and he was staring after Stefan in disbelief.

"It can't have been…" The old man murmured to himself.

"Sorry?" Elena questioned.

"Sorry, he just looked like somebody I know." The old man turned back to her.

"Stefan Salvatore?" She asked. He frowned.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right. But it can't be, that was years ago. He hasn't aged a day- must be a relation." Elena stared, surprised. Had she really found somebody who had known Stefan a long time ago and had recognised him? She'd assumed logically that Stefan and Damon wouldn't have returned to Mystic Falls while anyone was alive to remember them from last time, but then she'd supposed wrong. The man was very old but he very much had all of his marbles.

"When was this, sir?" She asked him a little breathlessly.

"Hm… I don't know, it must've been… early June, 1953." He was ushered away from the table by his granddaughter, who was washing one of the cars, before Elena could ask any more questions but her curiosity was piqued to say the least. In 1953, Mystic Falls would have been almost recognisable to the town she knew now, but things would have also been very different then. She wondered what had happened then, the presumed last time the Salvatore's had come to visit. Hurriedly, Elena handed over her post to somebody else and made a decision: she was going to find out exactly what happened last time.

On her way off the school grounds, she opportunely spied Logan Fell. Jenna had come down to get her car washed after all but had gotten distracted talking to her date for that evening. Elena approached them.  
"Hey, you off so soon?" Jenna asked her. She sparkled when she spoke to Logan, a sure sign that she really liked him.

"Yeah, don't tell Caroline but I'm not really feeling it. Um, I don't mean to be demanding, Logan, but do you by any chance have access to old news stories?" She turned to him. He was, to her, not particularly remarkable looking. He had light eyes and brown curly hair, typical features of the Fell family, but Jenna obviously saw something she didn't.

"Sure, come down to the station any time. I mean, this is for a school project or something right?" He offered her as an excuse. Elena seized on this.

"Thank you so much and yeah! It's a report that's way overdue." Before anybody could say anything more though, she heard a voice. It was hoarse and anxious and felt like it was coming from somebody standing right beside her.  
" _Elena_ ," It called. Her head whipped to the side automatically but of course nobody was there.

* * *

Damon was starving. He was not in the mood for Stefan and Zach's taunting from the cell door, and not feeling very forgiving of them after their trick. He had been starved of blood ever since, almost a week later, and through the beginning stage of desiccation, he had come to the conclusion that this couldn't carry on. He had to get out of here. But who could he call? The most obvious choice seemed to be Caroline given that supposedly he'd been dating her, but some sort of curiosity in him made him think of Elena. He hadn't fed on her so there was no guarantee it'd work, but Damon thought that due to their bond- one he could only grudgingly admit existed- he should be able to call for her. So, with the very little energy and power he still had, he yelled out with his mind.

He wasn't sure it'd worked and when she didn't arrive, Damon decided it can't have. She might not realise what his call even was and even if she did, there was no reason to believe she'd honour it. Elena had seemed angry with him the last time they'd met and she was, unfortunately, smart enough to have figured out that he was the one responsible for the teacher at her school dying. Slumped against the wall of his cell, he closed his eyes. He'd rather have the stake back in his stomach at this point. That was when he heard the front door open.

"Damon?" He opened his eyes to find Elena peering through the bars in the tiny window at the top of the door, looking frightened.

"You came." He said hoarsely. Shakily, he pushed himself to his feet, but walking was difficult. He was too weak.

"Damon what's going on? Why are you…?"

"Stefan and Zach vervained me, then chucked me in here to starve." Damon huffed out a laugh which turned into a cough. He was parched. "Some family they are."

"I know you killed Mr Tanner." Elena told him cautiously.

"I lost my temper. Heard the guy was a dick anyway." She didn't seem to have any argument for that statement and the pause enabled Damon to get a little closer to the door. Elena seemed to sense an ulterior motive and backed away so that she wouldn't be in reach of him if he reached through the bars. "Elena, please. Let me out." He saw her eyes drift to the lock on the outside of the door.

"Why should I?" She asked him. "You don't deserve to be let out."

"I don't deserve for you to have come here but you still did." He felt pathetic, holding onto the door and the wall to remain standing. He could hear her heart pounding, pumping deliciously hot blood around her body. It was making his mouth water and his parched body ache. Elena seemed to be thinking about something. Slowly, she came towards the door again, so she was just the other side of the bars from him.

"I can't let you out of here. You're going to hurt people." Damon saw the doubt in her face.

"You can't leave me in here to suffer, though. You're…" He coughed, "Too good…" His body went over to a full blown coughing fit and his legs went out from under him. His shoulder crashed into the door as he went down. It took a lot of effort to push himself back up and once he had he was out of breath. "Please…" He couldn't believe he was begging this human girl for help. Why had he called her? Caroline was easier to manipulate. Still, Elena's big dark eyes stayed on his for a moment and then she did something he'd never expected her to do. She put her arm through the bar. Her wrist was in sniffing distance and her blood smelt wonderful.

"You said you won't hurt me." Elena said in a firm voice, "If you want me to trust you, you need to keep your word Damon."

"By resisting your blood? You… realise… you're forcing a starving man to… smell food?" If Damon was strong enough he could have screamed. He could feel his fangs sharp and poised as he opened his mouth. She was watching his face, where he knew his eyes had changed. Just one bite couldn't hurt, could it? But he knew, at this stage of starving, that one sip would never be enough. He'd most likely drain her body of all blood until she died. He didn't want that to happen. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to be the cause of Elena Gilbert's death. Not even for this. And so, he concentrated harder than he ever had on shutting out the bloodlust. He could feel his face returning to normal and he saw Elena's expression change slightly in accordance.

"Elena withdrew her hand, moving it towards the bolt keeping the door shut. But then she paused again, "You give me enough time to get away from here before you come out." Realising this was the best deal he could have hoped for, Damon nodded. Elena slid the bolt across and unlocked the door. Then, she walked away. He waited, listening for when she'd left the house, then allowing several minutes to pass to get her out of the vicinity. And then, he was free.

Freedom came at great cost in his current state. He had no blood bags in the house – Zach wouldn't let him store any there. He needed to find a human, now. Unfortunately, when he finally made it to the front room, he was forced out of the light. Looking down, he noticed for the first time that he didn't have his daylight ring. Cursing, he flopped down in the shadows and waited. It was a long wait. What was the good of being allowed out if he couldn't feed? If he had the energy, he'd be furious. Finally, eventually, the sun began to set and it was around that time that Zach got home.

His distant nephew froze in the doorway when he saw Damon draped across an armchair in the corner of the room.  
"How did you get out?" Zach demanded, panic cracking his voice. He'd always been afraid of Damon, favouring Stefan for his choice of diet. Damon got to his feet. "I've been slipping vervain into my coffee since your last visit, you can't feed on me." But Damon was not particularly interested in feeding off of Zach, he just needed him out of the way. His humanity may strangely have switched itself on around Elena but without her he was a predator.

"Fine, but I can do this." Faster than Zach could blink, Damon was across the room and had snapped Zach's neck. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor. He glanced one more time towards the window and was satisfied to see that the sun was fully down now.

He somehow made it to the graveyard, but it took him hours due to his weakness. He knew that a bunch of potheads hung out there day in and day out, draining on society and wasting their lives. This was convenient because it would be easy to lure them towards him in his current state of apparent illness and they were no match for him once he'd drank from one of them. He was going to have an extremely satisfying meal, befitting one who'd been famished for a week. Their car was parked a little ways away from where they sat. Damon watched from the trees as one of the girls went towards it to switch the radio in the car back on. He moved forward and managed to make it to the hood of the car, where he slumped. He got a good look at her before she noticed him though and he was amused to recognise her as the girl he'd attacked before- Vicki Donovan.

"Are you okay?" She noticed him, but did not remember him from the first attack. Stefan had compelled her to believe she'd been attacked by an animal- although Damon could tell it would be easy to unravel the truth from her given that compulsion only worked properly if you fed on human blood.

"Help." He rasped out, "Come here… need help…"

"What's happened to you?" Vicki sounded quite frightened. He couldn't tell if she was scared of him or scared that something had happened to him which might be a risk to her own safety. She did come a couple of steps closer to him though.

"Closer… please…" Hesitantly, she up beside him, and Damon seized her, pulling her by the hair towards him. The second he sank his fangs into her veins, he forgot everything else. Vicki struggled against him but the more he drank, the stronger he became, and soon he managed to pin her arms down. It felt like nothing to him when she passed out from blood loss, but it was his cue to let her go. He dropped her unconscious body and turned towards her friends.

* * *

"Jer, you're back early." Elena was quite surprised to see her younger brother, especially without the company of Vicki. Jeremy didn't look very happy when he walked in through the door. He flopped onto the sofa.

"Wasn't feeling it anymore." This meant he didn't want to talk about it. Elena had learnt lately that trying to force Jeremy to talk to her simply wasn't going to work, but that didn't make her want to try any less. He was her little brother and they'd always been close. She thought of Stefan and Damon's fraught brotherly relationship and she couldn't bear the idea that she and Jeremy could end up the same way. So, instead of pressuring him to answer, she sat down beside him on the couch. It was nice to have his company for once, even if they weren't speaking.

After she had freed Damon- a decision she wasn't totally happy about- she had headed down to the news station, where Logan had promised her access to old news stories. It had taken some time, but she had come across a story involving the Salvatore's in 1953. One of Stefan and Damon's relatives had mysteriously died after a string of animal attacks. Stefan had been captured in the background of the news report. There was no denying it was him. And along with the string of supposed animal attacks, it became immediately obvious what Damon had meant when he said trouble tended to follow vampires. Obviously, either he or Stefan- she couldn't be sure what exactly it was that drove him to stay off human blood- had killed their 'uncle', as the story had been reported.

"I should have listened to you, Elena." Jeremy spoke up out of nowhere, interrupting her reverie. She looked around at him in confusion. "I mean, you telling me all that stuff- the drugs and crap- it isn't going to help me. I think I'm done with it now."

"What brought on this change of heart?" She asked with interest. Jeremy hesitated.

"I don't know." She could tell this wasn't the whole truth.

"So… are you still seeing Vicki?" Elena was trying to gauge the situation. If they'd broken up, she'd be relieved, if she was honest with herself. Vicki was not a good influence on Jeremy. But on the other hand she didn't want to see him hurting.

"I don't know. I care about her." Jeremy answered, sounding younger than usual. She reached over and touched his arm.

"I know you do, Jer."

 **A/N: It occurred to me when reading this back so far that because I'm British, I'm mixing up my spellings. So, I've used words like 'mom' but spellings like 'honour' instead of 'mum' and 'honor'. Please forgive me for these little differences, I hope they don't matter to anybody! Thanks so much for reading so far, and please, please, pretty please leave me a review!**


	10. Vicki

**Chapter Ten: Vicki**

Elena was quite relieved to spy Stefan in the corridor at school. She'd always been in two minds about freeing Damon and although he had no idea of her part in it, she wanted to make sure somehow that there had been no awful consequences.  
"Hey, Stefan," She greeted him after hurrying to catch him up, "How's things?"

"Things are great," It was hard to tell whether he was lying or not because Stefan seemed perpetually serious about anything, but Elena hoped that he was being honest. "We haven't hung out much lately."

"I know. Hey, we'll be heading down to the Grill tonight if you wanted to join us. We can catch up properly there." And she could hopefully mine him for information on Damon and the rest of their history.

"Sounds great, Elena." Stefan smiled and she smiled back, pleased. You really couldn't make it up, how different the Salvatore brothers were from one another. The image of Damon when he had been presented with the chance to feed from her ran shivers up her spine and the nightmares had gotten even worse last night. She connected the nightmares to Damon now. They had gone the night he had arrived with her, and she assumed that meant vampires could change what dreams you had. They could mess with your subconscious mind anyway, that was for sure. Elena was hardly free of this conversation with Stefan when Matt approached her:

"Hey, Elena, have you seen Vicki? She didn't come home last night." Despite his determination to win Elena back and hate Stefan for competing for her affections, Matt did seem to finally be moving on and acting more normally towards her. He'd even grudgingly admitted that he liked Stefan. Elena was glad.

"No, sorry." She apologised.

"I just thought she might have been with Jeremy."

"Jeremy came home early last night. Maybe they had an argument or something." She didn't know this for sure but she would judge that to be the truth given Jeremy's strange mood last night.

"Yeah… I mean, this isn't unusual for Vick but ever since she got attacked by that animal, and she said… well, anyway, I've been worried about her since then, I guess." Matt sighed. Elena had always felt sorry for the Donovan kids. Their mother was flighty and never stuck around for long, especially since she had deemed them old enough to fend for themselves. It was small wonder Vicki had ended up on the wrong side of the tracks. Matt was too sweet and moral for that but he suffered all the same, what with having to work long hours at the Grill to get by. He spent a lot of his time and energy looking out for his big sister.

"I get it. But this is Vicki, I'm sure she's totally fine."

Elena would come to regret those words within minutes. Just as Matt had taken Stefan's place beside her as she walked through the school's corridors, Caroline came rushing up to her immediately after Matt's departure. The blonde's face was quite stricken.  
"There was some kind of murder in the cemetery last night. Everything was burned so there was no evidence left, but there were a few bodies there."

She ended up calling Stefan much earlier than they were due to meet at the Grill. The guilt and worry had threatened to consume her all afternoon as more talk of the fire in the graveyard had broken out. The bodies in the cemetery were being identified and most of them were friends of Vicki's- other stoners and town throwaways. None of them were identified as being her but she was still gone. Elena had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when she dialled Stefan's number, but she tried to keep her voice as normal as possible.

"Stefan? I… I'm helping Matt to try and find Vicki and I was wondering whether you'd seen her? You know… the fire in the graveyard and all… it has everybody worried about where she is." If her suspicions were correct then Damon was behind this- it was too much of a coincidence otherwise. She _had_ to know.

"Uh, Elena, Vicki is fine. Well, I say fine, she's drunk. She's been with Damon all day." Stefan said this awkwardly, but she could tell he was being sincere. Vicki was alive! However, the relief was temporary, as she realised what being with Damon all day might mean.

"Is she… you know…? I think her and Jer had an argument…" She managed to stammer out.

"Elena, she's fine. She's safe." Behind the firm words she heard Stefan's plea: _trust me._ She let out a breath. She could trust Stefan to protect her. He wouldn't let Damon kill Vicki, she knew he wouldn't.

* * *

Damon stepped over Vicki's lifeless body on the living room floor. He'd quite enjoyed his day partying and feeding with the girl who refused to die and now it was just a matter of time before she woke up in transition. It would be fun to watch Stefan struggle to try and contain a brand new vampire. His brother had not been pleased about having to dispose of Zach's body, and he had been even less impressed to find Vicki and Damon drunk out of their minds. He'd be even less pleased to find her in transition when he got home.

It was a bottle of bourbon and a half's waiting time until Vicki would wake. During that time, Damon remembered his earlier fantasy of using Vicki as a tool to demonstrate to Stefan how weak he was without drinking human blood. His compulsion had been so flimsy that Damon had broken it simply by asking the right question and she had remembered everything about the first time he attacked her. Luckily, his own compulsion powers were fully intact. The only reason he hadn't followed through with his plan was because Elena had asked him not to hurt people. Obviously, he hadn't really listened, given what he'd done now, but it had been enough to make him hesitate.

The bones in Vicki's neck snapped back into position as she came around. She groaned as she sat up on the floor, looking about herself. Finally, her eyes found Damon, who was sat with his feet up watching her.  
"Morning, sunshine." He greeted her sarcastically.

"God, I was wasted," She was still slurring a little as she grinned, but then she groaned, "Ugh, my head…"

"That's what drink and drugs do to you." Damon told her frankly, getting to his feet and standing over her. "What is it that makes your life suck so much that the only way you can brighten it up is by getting blasted on anything you can find? It's pathetic, you know that?" She looked hurt when he said that, and he felt a twinge of guilt. His humanity kept threatening to out him and he wasn't ready for that, especially not for it to be triggered by Vicki Donovan of all people.

"I just like having a good time… God what is it with this headache?" She struggled to her feet gingerly. "But if you're gonna be like that, I'm out of here." She was clearly in some state of shock because she didn't seem to recall all the biting and bloodsharing that had gone on.

"I'm not sure why you're in such a hurry." Damon said, with amusement.

"I'm so… hungry…" She frowned, "I'm starving." Damon heard the front door open in the distance and Vicki was so distracted by the strange feelings she was experiencing that she didn't notice him slip out of the room. Stefan had entered the house and his jaw was set the moment he saw Damon.

"You didn't kill Vicki while I was gone?" Stefan demanded of his elder brother immediately.

"Vicki's alive… in a manner of speaking." Damon slurred. Stefan did not look impressed by his drunken state, but Damon did not remark upon this. Self-righteous Stefan was never impressed by anything less than martyrdom.

"What did you do?" Suddenly Stefan's hand was at his throat, squeezing at his windpipe. Taken by surprise, Damon choked, but it only took him a moment to gain his composure and when he did, he reached up and wrenched Stefan's hand free quite easily, shoving him backwards across the hallway back against the front door.

"I might be drunk but I'm still stronger and faster than you Stef. Don't ever forget that." Before Stefan could say anything more, Damon was gone. He was going to let Stefan figure out what to do with Vicki himself. He wondered whether she'd find a way to complete the transition or die because noble Stefan was afraid she might hurt somebody. Damon sped down to the chest freezer in the cellar, where he retrieved one of the blood bags he'd successfully pilfered from the hospital. Opening it, he downed the blood inside. It was not as good as it would be fresh from the vein but it satiated his thirst nicely. The blood also flushed the alcohol from him, clearing his mind as he drank. Once done, he disposed of the empty bag and sped his way out of the house. As he passed the living room he could hear Stefan talking to Vicki about what had become of her.

* * *

Stefan was late to the Grill. Elena was happy hanging with Caroline instead, but she did notice the vampire's absence. He'd so become a part of their group already that it was strange not having him there, but she didn't show that it bothered her. They weren't a couple, as she constantly reminded everyone, so if he was late or didn't show it was none of her business.  
"Where is Bonnie?" Elena asked Caroline, in order to distract herself from all things Salvatore.

"I don't know, I've hardly seen her outside of school since the car wash. She's been acting weird." Caroline replied. "She said something about something strange happening that day but I don't know."

"She said the water turned into fire at the car wash and that she did it." Elena hadn't known what to make of that story. Bonnie had never brought it up again, and it wasn't like her to lie. Elena supposed that if vampires existed then witches could, but she didn't feel right about demanding any answers from her best friend unless she was ready to spill the beans; after all, she and Caroline were both keeping the truth about the Salvatore's a secret from Bonnie. As if she could read Elena's mind, Caroline mused:

"Don't you think it's odd that Damon didn't come back to compel me to forget everything? It's what I'd do if I didn't want people to figure out I was a vampire." Elena's fingers instinctively found the necklace around her neck.

"You haven't told anyone so far." Elena pointed out. "Damon isn't as bad as…"

"As what? A psychotic killer?" Caroline hissed. Elena sighed.

"I know. I didn't mean that." But he had taken away her nightmares that time.

"You know it's got to have been him behind that thing at the cemetery? People do not just burst into flames. Accident, my ass." Elena happened to agree with Caroline on that and the thought had been disturbing her all day. Nobody had heard from Vicki, either, which was even more worrying. Knowing who she had been with all day wasn't helping.  
Elena's eyes drifted across the Grill to where Tyler was sitting with his friends, guzzling beer and laughing without a care in the world. It didn't seem right to her that her little brother had spent all day being eaten up with anxiety about Vicki whilst Tyler, who had dated her for ages, didn't seem in the least bit concerned. Before she even knew she'd moved, Elena was halfway across the floor towards Tyler. Caroline called her name but she didn't look back.

"Tyler. Have you heard from Vicki?" She paid no mind to the meathead jocks she'd pushed out of the way to get to him.

"Why would I hear from her? Last I knew she was happily shacked up with _your_ little brother."

"So you don't care if she's okay or not anymore, is that it?" Elena couldn't explain the anger she felt towards him at that moment. He may not always act it, but she knew Tyler was really a good person who was unfortunately the product of his upbringing. That was why so many people forgave him for some of the things he said and did, but Elena was not ready to be forgiving this time. "Your best friend is worried sick about his sister and you're in here drinking beer and acting like everything is fine!"

"Woah, Elena," She'd never lost her temper with him, or anyone really, before, so Tyler was clearly surprised, "If Vick wanted to see me she'd call."

"Really? If I was her and I was in trouble Tyler, you'd be the _last_ person I'd call. You haven't done her any good before now." Elena reeled around and made to storm out of the grill. At that moment she was sick of everything and everyone in Mystic Falls, and the injustices of the world both mortal and supernatural. Elena didn't get very far before she walked into Caroline.

"What was that?" She demanded.

"I'm sorry Caroline, I'm just not feeling it tonight."

Elena had been counting on Stefan to show up and let them know what was going on with Vicki. She trusted him not to allow Damon to hurt her, but she didn't know how safe Vicki had been all day. The shadows of Mystic Falls by night seemed even darker than usual and Elena was relieved when she turned into her driveway and pulled up outside of her house. Turning off her engine, she sat for a moment staring at the front door. The world was a lot more twisted than she'd ever known, she was only just starting to realise that and she hardly knew anything. And people were more complicated than seemed possible; Damon had killed and hurt, and yet she sensed something in him. Something whole and good. She didn't even get the same sense with Stefan, whom she believed truly was good.

Elena was about to put her key in the door when it opened and Logan and Jenna appeared. Elena stepped back to allow Logan to exist. She did her best to return Jenna's gleeful smile as she passed by on the way inside. She didn't stick around to see them say goodnight to each other. Jeremy, for once, had stayed in for the night. He was sat between the home phone and his cell on the couch, staring at the TV without seeing it. It would be some time before his life returned to normal but she hoped that he gave himself enough time for that to happen. She grabbed some milk and headed up to her bedroom, thinking about getting into her most comfortable pyjamas and getting some of this chaos down into her diary.

She shut the door behind her and walked through the dark room, setting her milk down on the desk and reaching over to turn on the lamp. When she turned back around, it was to find she was nose to nose with Damon Salvatore again.

 **A/N: Thanks again to the people who have been kind enough to leave me reviews! Your feedback is special and helps me along so I'd appreciate it if you left some**


	11. My Little Liberator

**Chapter Eleven: My Little Liberator**

"Hello my little liberator." Damon murmured.

"You can't just enter people's houses whenever you want, Damon!" Elena hissed, looking towards her door just to make sure that she really had closed it behind her.

"You can when you've been invited in." He smirked at her. She shoved past him, ruffled.

"Leave. I want nothing to do with you." She tried to sound fierce and strong but inside she was jittery. She had freed him, mostly against her better judgement, and he had repaid that by butchering a group of innocent people. Damon didn't move from his spot. He just watched her.

"Aren't you curious about your friend Vicki?" The cold fingers of fear gripped her heart at these words. Damon's voice was level, his expression inscrutable.

"What did you do to her?" Elena demanded hoarsely.

"I improved on her. She's Vicki 2.0 now, if you will." Damon grinned more widely. Elena's brain was putting two and two together and she did not like the answer to the problem.

"You… you've turned her." Real terror was in her now. She had no idea what it meant to be turned, or even how it was done. She only knew that Damon was a loose cannon and that Stefan fought hard to keep some shred of decency about himself by restricting himself only to animal blood. Damon seemed to have a measure of control over his urges when it suited him, but Stefan did not. Which one would Vicki most resemble?

"Relax, she won't make the full transition until she feeds from a human- if my dear brother lets her." Damon looked very pleased with himself. In fact, Elena had never quite managed to see him this way; she realised, though, that this was the Damon everyone else saw. Caroline knew this cruelty, as did Stefan. She felt like she didn't recognise him and it scared her. She wondered what she had unleashed when she had let him out of the cell in the Salvatore Boarding House.

"If she doesn't feed…?" Somehow, Elena thought she knew the answer to that question.

"She dies." Two simple words with the power to shatter the earth. Elena didn't know how to react; she just glared at Damon. Her brain couldn't come up with the answer though, so she simply asked:

"How could you do this?" A thousand thoughts and emotions seemed to flash across Damon's handsome face at this question. Elena couldn't have put a name to any of them, and yet somehow she seemed to have done the right thing in questioning him because the mask of indifference finally left and he unfroze, moving towards her. She took an unwitting step back from him.

"I'm sorry," He said. She kept backing away from him but he kept coming towards her, "Elena, I'm sorry. I was starving and then I binged. I was drunk from the blood and I wanted to punish Stefan- I never meant for this to hurt you. I wanted to thank you for freeing me." This was something more like the Damon she had seen, the one who so confused her, but he was more intense and more urgent than she'd ever seen him. She had never, since finding out the truth, been able to shake the knowledge that he was a vampire. He was cold and dangerous and ruthless. She had somehow realised that even before she had known what he was- and yet, this Damon was real and more human than anybody she'd ever seen. His ice blue eyes were pleading and his voice was soft, begging. Her back hit the wall and she had nowhere else to run.

"You seem to change who you are so quickly I can't keep up, Damon. All those people…" He was standing so close to her that she couldn't concentrate. Her whole world was reduced to those eyes. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

* * *

"Why can't I?" He asked her in return. He seemed to be at a loss for the answer. His eyes were tracing her features- the beautiful brown eyes, the fluttery lashes around them, the curve of her lips. So much like _hers_ and yet so different. He was so close to kissing her. He could have what his brother really wanted, but he didn't have it in him. Damon had not chosen to switch these feelings back on but they were there at the fringes-behind the strange swirl of emotions he associated with Elena Gilbert for some unknown reason, he could feel the guilt and the pain. If he let one feeling in, he let them all in, and he couldn't deal with that. Not now, not without Katherine. And so, he shut it out.

* * *

Damon pulled away from her. Elena thought he could probably hear her heart pounding. For a crazy moment, Damon had seemed like he was going to kiss her and for a nanosecond, Elena had wanted him to. But he was all wrong for her. She thought of Stefan- the person who was exactly right for her.

"If I can't have what I want, I have to push it away." Damon muttered to himself.

"What?" She asked, her breathing returning to a more normal pace. Damon pulled something from his pocket.

"There is something I didn't tell you about Katherine." Elena thought there was probably a lot he hadn't told her about Katherine, and even her hinting at Stefan hadn't made her any the wiser. "This is her." Elena took the thing that Damon was holding out to her.

It was a picture, some sort of print, of herself. In it her hair was curly and pinned back from her face and she was smiling a mischievous smile. It took a few seconds for her to really hear the last three words Damon had said, or to spot the words written across it. _'Katherine, 1864'_.

"But this…" Elena looked up at Damon, but he was gone. The window was open though, with a cool wind blowing in. She sighed and looked back down at the picture, "…Looks like me." Sinking down onto the edge of her bed, her hands shaking, Elena turned the picture over. On the other side, a semi-familiar handwritten notation proclaimed the picture to be the property of Mr S. Salvatore. After a few minute's reflection, Elena made a decision. She got up and headed downstairs, stuffing the picture in her purse as she went. Jenna was working on a paper at the dining room table and looked up when Elena entered the room.

"I'm just heading over to see Caroline." She told her aunt, who nodded her permission. As Elena stepped out of her front door, she had to admit to herself that the air felt strange and full of threat. Damon was out there, as well as Vicki. Would she be safe out in Mystic Falls tonight? Deciding not to dwell on the possibilities, she got into her car and started the short drive to the Forbes' residence.

Sheriff Forbes was off duty for once and answered the door at Elena's ring.  
"Hey Sheriff Forbes, is Caroline in?" Elena asked.

"Sure, Elena. How are you?" She added, closing the door behind her guest. Liz Forbes was a tough lady and had been close friends with Elena's parents- as had most of the town, of course, but the Sheriff was one of the nicer people around the place. Caroline's father had left her for a man, and Elena thought that the Sheriff deserved somebody who valued her. Caroline could be a brat sometimes.

"I'm good thank you." Elena smiled, though she was anxious to get away and see her friend. Sheriff Forbes seemed to sense this.

"Well Caroline's up in her room, I think Bonnie is coming over later too." Elena was glad to have headed their other friend off. She felt bad for keeping the truth from Bonnie but with the latter girls' witch-related troubles as of late, she thought she had enough on her plate. Besides, she was barely okay with the fact vampires existed herself, let alone revealing the truth to somebody else.

"Oh I'm glad you're here already, I need to talk to _somebody_ about what an ass Damon's being." Caroline was sat at her dresser, curling her eyelashes. "He's barely bothered to return any of my calls the past few days and when he finally did he just told me to stop being such a freakoid," Caroline set down the eyelash curlers and turned to face Elena with a derisive expression: " _Me_ , a freakoid. I know I said I was going to drop him after the pep rally and I am, I just don't appreciate being ignored."

Elena sat down on the end of Caroline's bed and the blonde girl's face slowly changed as she realised something was wrong.  
"Elena, are you okay?" Elena had no words so instead she extracted the picture of Katherine from her purse and handed it to Caroline. Caroline stared down at it for a few seconds, then looked back up at Elena, clearly confused. "What the hell is this?"

"Damon gave it to me." Caroline flipped it over and saw the name on the back of it.

"Are you telling me that Stefan is in love with a girl who is literally identical in every way to his ex?"

"Looks like it." Elena replied. Caroline frowned.

"Why did Damon give it to you?" Elena hesitated; she had never told Caroline the history she shared with Damon and she still didn't think that now was the right time. It had also registered in the back of her mind, behind the shock, that Caroline had said that Stefan was falling in love with her. Had it already gone that far?

"I think he's just trying to mess with us. You know, he hates Stefan, so he's trying to get to him by trying to get me to be angry with him." This probably wasn't in the least bit factually inaccurate, after all. Damon lived to antagonise his brother. Caroline handed back the photo.

"What are you going to do?" Caroline asked her in a hushed voice, most unlike herself.

"I need to talk to Stefan. He's got to know I know." Nothing more was said before they heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Elena stuffed the photo away. "That'll be Bonnie."

"I feel kind of bad, you know? She's my best friend and I haven't told her anything." Caroline said quickly. Elena nodded.

"I know, me too." They looked at each other for a minute.

"But you know I feel closer to you now than I ever have. I think…. You know, I haven't always been a good friend to you Elena, but I'm glad we're getting better." Caroline admitted. Elena smiled but they could say no more as Bonnie entered and the topic changed over to things high school girls were supposed to speak about. Though, Elena noted, Bonnie had seemed withdrawn lately and she was sure that she wasn't the only one distracted by something on her mind.

* * *

Damon was always in a temper when he had spent time with Elena. She made him ask far too many questions, things he didn't want to know the answers to, and she made him feel things which he didn't want to feel. He had decided long ago that emotions were not worth having and he had switched them off, allowing him to single-mindedly focus on getting Katherine out of the tomb. But his plan was taking time to come to fruition and he hated to admit it but he should have been more discrete with his feeding when he arrived in town.

When he got back to the house, however, Stefan and Vicki were gone. Sensing something was afoot, Damon focused on tracking. He followed his instincts into the woods, where it wasn't too long before he could hear Stefan's voice from further off.  
"You don't have to hurt anybody you love Vicki. You don't _have_ to complete the transition." Damon rolled his eyes; he had been relying on Stefan to do something like this- to think that somehow he was doing Vicki a favour by killing her.

"I'm so… hungry. Why are we out here?"

"We had to go somewhere without any people. It'd be too much temptation for you." Damon moved silently through the tree's in the direction of their voices.

"I thought you said I'd get something to eat." Vicki did not sound pleased.

"Sure, there are plenty of animals out here. You can survive on animal blood just as well." But that wouldn't lead to Vicki's transitioning fully, Damon knew. She would die without human blood. Something moved off to the side somewhere. It was clumsy movement- human. Damon slipped into the shadows and circled around the intruder. His night vision informed him that it was Logan Fell, local news reporter. And, he was holding something that Damon had not seen for over a century: the Gilbert watch. The watch which allowed the user to track down vampires. This meant something bad: this meant that the Founders Council knew that there were vampires back in town. And worse, he and Stefan were close in the vicinity. Logan got closer to Stefan and Vicki and Damon noticed he was holding a pistol, which he was sure must have wooden bullets in. Predictably, though, Logan was heading towards where he heard voices.

Stefan and Vicki came into sight for Damon several steps before Logan could see them, even though he was closer. Vicki was arguing with Stefan, and as a result the latter had not heard Logan approach. Damon hesitated, unsure what to do, and Logan Fell fired. Stefan yelled and groaned as the wooden bullet met its target. He crumpled against the pain and fell to his knees, groaning.  
"You stay away from her, vampire!" Logan yelled. Vicki looked confusedly between Stefan and Logan, obviously not fully understanding what was going on. Stefan was struggling to his feet and Logan went for the trigger again, but Damon had acted on a hairline decision.

He darted forward and tore out Logan's throat, instantly killing him. Stefan looked around in surprise, and Damon leaned forward and plucked the bullet out from where it was buried in his brother's back.  
"Thanks." Stefan huffed, looking equally shocked and grateful.

"What are brothers for?" In truth, Damon was still angry enough at Stefan not to have cared, but it was essential that their secret was kept. The Founders Council could not know that he and Stefan were vampires or that he was behind the recent killings. Above that, he had an idea of how to win them over so they wouldn't think to check.

For a moment, Stefan had been distracted enough not to notice that Vicki had walked in a kind of trance over to Logan's body. Blood was still pouring out of the wound Damon had left him, though it would clot soon, and she had been drawn to it instinctively. She dropped to her knees and leant over his body. It was then that Stefan noticed:  
"Vicki!" He called. She didn't look around and he moved towards her but Damon easily stopped him.

"It's too late Stefan." Vicki was drinking the blood greedily as if she hadn't eaten in months. Stefan watched in horror. He himself was clearly fighting the temptation the smell of the blood presented and Damon felt a little satisfaction at that. "She's a vampire now." He turned and began to head off, thinking about the blood bags he had at home. As he passed Logan's body, which Vicki was ruthlessly draining, he plucked the Gilbert watch out of the assailant's hand.

"Can't leave that lying around," He muttered to himself, before vanishing amongst the trees.

 **A/N: So the action between Damon and Elena is heating up a bit, not to mention now she knows about Katherine! Thanks for the reviews guys, they meant the world to me** **please leave me more!**


	12. Halloween

**Chapter Twelve: Halloween**

So much had been going on that Elena was surprised that Halloween had approached so fast. On the morning of the party, she was sat in her History class, thinking about how real some of the things she had once considered no more than costume pieces were. They hadn't gotten a new teacher since Tanner died so they were instructed to use this period as personal study time. She looked across at Stefan's empty seat. He hadn't been at school since Vicki had been turned and she knew that he was trying to control her and stop her from hurting anyone in town. She had spoken to him, though, and he now knew the extent of what she knew.

* * *

 _Elena never thought she'd ever be able to get used to the grandeur of the Salvatore Boarding House. Stefan seemed nervous at the fact that she had turned up unannounced that morning.  
"Stefan, I… haven't been totally honest with you." She began with difficulty._

" _What do you mean?" He always looked at her in a certain way, like she was a prized work of art. Before, some part of her had been flattered even if she hadn't returned his feeling. Stefan was a kind, handsome guy who was interested in her. Besides, he was her friend. But now she had to wonder whether he was just seeing Katherine in front of himself, brought back from the dead. This was why it was so important to bring this out in the open; she had to know the truth._

" _Stefan, I know what you are. I know you're a vampire." The words seemed blunt._

" _What?" Stefan's voice sounded almost constricted._

" _Damon told me. Actually… that's the other thing. I've known Damon for a while longer than you…. Sort of."_

" _What are you talking about?" Stefan was staring at her._

" _I met him the night my parents died." The ever-present frown deepened on Stefan's forehead as he digested the information._

* * *

"Hey, has anyone come round for roll call yet?" Bonnie pulled the seat of the desk in front of Elena up and sat down to face her. "Caroline just gave me my costume for tonight." She held up a witches hat with a grimace, "I suppose she thinks this is funny."

"You'll look hot though." Elena said and Bonnie smiled in a slightly embarrassed way.

"Well she gave me this crystal too- she said Damon gave it to her." Elena remembered the very crystal- it was large and yellowish, and she and Caroline had agreed it was ugly. Strangely though, she thought it might look good on Bonnie, especially against her dark skin.

"It looks old." Elena mused with interest- it was probably a genuine antique if it came from Damon.

"So what are you wearing tonight?" Bonnie inquired.

"I'm going full on sexy nurse." Elena grinned in spite of herself.

"And is Stefan gonna be your sexy doctor?" Bonnie waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Elena glared at her friend and Bonnie laughed, miming zipping her lips on the subject.

* * *

" _What? Where?"_

" _It was just before. I was waiting for my parents to pick me up… He compelled me to forget but I guess the shock of the accident lifted the compulsion. I got him to tell me the truth and… well, I know about Vicki too" Elena bit her lip, watching his expression nervously._

" _You didn't tell me." Stefan stated, finally._

" _Well, at first I was curious. I wondered if you'd tell me yourself and then… well, then there was just never a good time." She had chosen to omit the fact that Caroline knew too._

" _Elena, I'm sorry. It's just… it's dangerous for you to know this. And Damon's dangerous too. You can't trust him." His expression was sincere and serious all at once. Elena nodded._

" _I know that. I know what Damon has done, too. And I'm not going to tell anybody, I swear." Stefan looked at her for a long minute and then nodded._

" _Thank you. I'm just… trying to live a normal, human life here, you know? It's not exactly been easy to do that but I have to try."_

* * *

Elena spent most of the day staring off into space. She needed to speak to somebody about all of this but she didn't know who to turn to. She'd already exhausted the Caroline line of inquiry, as her friend's main concern was staying as far away from Damon as possible and encouraging Elena to get it on with Stefan, pronto. That seemed to be everybody's agenda, Elena had noticed. Even Matt had warmed to him and had mentioned the fact that he believed Stefan genuinely cared for her. It wasn't that simple though. Bonnie would know what to do, but how could she ever begin to explain any of this? Elena yearned for her mother. Her mom had always known what to do. But then, her mother had also been a member of the Founders Council and according to Stefan that was bad news; they hated vampires. And as much as she had mixed feelings on the subject thus far, she didn't think Stefan or even Damon deserved to be hunted and killed.

* * *

" _I gave him back his daylight ring after he saved me," Stefan had filled her in on the night in the woods, "But tell me," Stefan had leant forward imploringly, "I didn't even know he was in Mystic Falls that night."_

" _You were?" Elena had said, surprised. She supposed she hadn't paid much attention to life outside of her own misery over the summer so wouldn't have noticed the newcomer around. Stefan looked strangely uncomfortable at the question._

" _I was around. The first I saw of Damon was the night of that first day I started school here." So Stefan's interrupting her approaching Damon the first time she'd seen him out in the parking lot had been unwitting after all; she'd wondered._

" _Stefan, he gave me this." She had decided to bite the bullet by handing him back the picture of Katherine. He took it from her and she saw his face change. The veins stood out around his eyes, which had darkened. She suppressed a shiver but his moment of temper subsided when he looked up at her. She didn't have to ask the question out loud._

" _Elena, I know what this must look like… and yeah, maybe it was what you were thinking at first. But you look exactly like her, I just had to know, well I needed to know who you were. You're nothing like Katherine." She looked at him in a slightly sceptical way. "Look, Damon and I were both in love with Katherine Pierce but it was a long, long time ago. And Katherine… she was really an awful person. She was selfish, and cruel, and unkind. She destroyed us… Damon and I, we were close once, and she ruined it. Any feelings I had for her died when she burned."_

" _What?" Elena asked._

" _Under Fell's Church. She and the other vampires of this town were locked inside and burned when they were discovered." Elena contemplated this. There was an element of sadness to Stefan's tone, and she could understand; he must have watched everyone he knew and loved die. She knew the night- it had gone down in history as a civil war incident, but now she knew the truth. "She turned us both. She forced me… Damon was willing."_

 _Elena had learned the process of turning into a vampire from Vicki's transition._

" _And that's it?" She asked after a few moments of thoughtful silence._

" _That's everything I have to say about Katherine, yes." Stefan confirmed. "Elena, you need to stay away from Damon. Given a chance, he could kill you." She didn't believe him. He didn't know how many times she had been alone with his brother and he was unaware of the moments that Damon's humanity shined through the darkness he surrounded himself with. But Stefan had his heart set on protecting her from his brother and so that was that._

* * *

"Elena!" Caroline handed her a cup of punch the second she arrived in the school gym that night, where the Halloween dance was being held. It was a little bit disorienting with everybody dressed up and unrecognisable in some cases, but Elena had to admit Caroline had done a good job as usual on setting this dance up. "You look hot." The blonde added. Elena smiled.

"Thanks Care. Have you seen Jeremy by any chance?" She added. She hadn't seen her brother all day and she was a little bit worried. Although he had said he was done with taking drugs and generally reckless behaviour she wasn't sure she was ready for him to be let off his leash yet.

"I didn't think school dances were really his scene. I mean, he is a stoner now." Caroline said, a little insensitively. Elena chose to overlook this comment, "Oh look who it is." Elena looked around and saw Stefan and Bonnie enter together. Stefan was wearing a tuxedo which did nothing but accentuate his athletic form and she had to admit he looked hot. Bonnie looked awkward dressed as a witch.

"What are you supposed to be?" Caroline demanded of Stefan immediately.

"James Bond, isn't it obvious?" He asked with a grin. Elena rolled her eyes.

"That is such a cop out," She laughed, and Stefan shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't even that set on coming but I figured it'd be good to get out." Elena nodded. She could only imagine what it must be like to have to try and look after a newly turned, bloodthirsty vampire; especially somebody like Vicki, who hadn't been the most rational person as a human either.

"You did a good job though, Care." Bonnie complimented the blonde, gesturing to the decorations and the candy-laden tables, "You could set up your own events planning business."

"Thanks Bon," Caroline said happily, "I have to go and say hi to some people. See you guys later!" This left Elena, Bonnie and Stefan standing there slightly awkwardly. Elena was looking at Stefan, trying to silently ask him where Vicki was. He was looking back as if he really wanted to answer and Bonnie interpreted this, somewhat fortunately, as 'a moment'.

"I'm gonna go get some punch," She headed away, leaving Elena and Stefan alone.

"I made Vicki swear she wasn't going to come." He told her, "I don't think she's ready to be somewhere like this, with all these people around." Elena nodded, feeling relieved. Trying to distinguish between fake and real blood for the rest of the night was nobody's idea of fun. "We'll still have to keep our eyes peeled though because she's not stable and Damon would do a better job of controlling her but he said he has business to attend to." Stefan grumbled.  
Elena knew that Damon had saved Stefan from being killed by Logan that night and she knew that Stefan must have mixed feelings; he believed that his brother could not be saved, but it was still his brother and now he had gratitude to feel too.

"Come on, let's dance." Elena didn't feel much like dancing herself but she thought they could both do with a distraction.

"Uh, I don't…" Stefan began to protest but he just gave him a stern look and he gave in. He was a little stiff on the dancefloor, but Elena couldn't tell whether it was because he was a bad dancer or because he was trying to watch out for any sign of Vicki. But his green eyes seemed to only be focused on her and Elena was starting to feel a little awkward. She tried to look at him and feel something like what he felt for her in return, but there was nothing. A part of her simply was not willing to even give this a chance. Stefan might be exactly what she needed but he was not what she wanted.

"Back in your day didn't they have balls and stuff?" She asked him.

"Oh… Yeah, we knew all the steps to the usual dances. The quickstep, the waltz, the Virginia reel…" Stefan grinned lightly at some far-distant memory, "All of us would compete to ask the prettiest girl to dance."

"Oh," Elena smiled, "It's a shame now the only dance people know is the grind." He held her hand and waist gently and she could already feel him loosening up a bit, but then over his shoulder she spotted Jeremy. "Sorry, I need to speak to Jer." Stefan let her excuse herself, and Elena approached her brother.

"I didn't expect to see you here." She commented. He didn't look happy, to be sure; his bottom lip was thrust out a little, like a sulky child, and he barely even looked at her.

"I thought I should show my face." Something told her that he was lying. Jeremy Gilbert didn't show up to school dances to 'show his face'- at least not _this_ Jeremy. Even before the accident, Jeremy might have attended just to prank somebody or goof around, but definitely not with the intention of actually taking part in anything remotely school spirit-like. Even Elena was no longer really that person, but she was girly enough to attend dances even if Caroline didn't demand her presence. He wasn't in Halloween costume.

"Why?" She decided to keep the question simple, hoping to get him to spill without realising, but Jeremy looked at her darkly.

"You're always telling me to join in but when I do you question me. Why can't you just leave me alone?" He stormed off, leaving Elena feeling a little blindsided and all the more worried. What was going on? She went to find Stefan but alarmingly, he was also gone. A bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, she approached Bonnie at the punch table. Her friend didn't look like she was having much fun either as she watched everybody else dance.

"Where did Stefan go?" Elena asked her. A little gleam of joy did appear in Bonnie's eyes when she mentioned the younger Salvatore brother. Evidently, she believed her plan to get the two together was working. Elena wished it was that simple.

"I don't know, he headed off outside somewhere." Elena was about to ask what direction he went in when her phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, she saw it was a text message from Stefan:

' **Vicki loose in school. Stay safe'** Suddenly, everything fell into place- Jeremy's sudden appearance and Stefan's vanishing act. Of course it was because Vicki was coming. Elena knew that Stefan wanted her to stay in the gym with everyone else and not put herself in any danger, but there was no way he could expect her to do that when she knew that Jeremy could be in harm's way. One thing she must do, though, was make sure that nobody followed her.

"Hey Bonnie why don't you go dance with Matt? I'm just… going to the bathroom." Bonnie, thankfully, brought it. Elena reflected that she must be getting at lying, though she didn't really know if that was a good thing though. Bonnie headed off in the direction of Matt and Elena gripped her phone in one last moment of hesitation. Bizarrely, she was asking herself what Damon would do. She had no way of knowing the answer, but she thought that if she could think like Damon, somebody fearless and impossible to hurt, that maybe Vicki couldn't get to her.

A minute later, Elena was flying down the hallways.

 **A/N: I'm sorry that this was mostly filler but I obviously have to show Elena's relationship with Stefan too and I thought this was a really important time to do so. Besides, there's a little bit of a cliffhanger here. Let me know what you thought in a review!**

 **p.s. Don't worry I won't do a million chapters with flashbacks inserting into them. I like writing in a linear fashion so on occasions that I do need to show something from the past, I will try not to interrupt the text too much with constant blocks of italics which I personally find very annoying to read, I don't know about you guys.**

 **P.P.S. I did edit this chapter when I realised I had a few pretty stupid mistakes so sorry if you got 2 updates for this single chapter.**


	13. To Live and Forget

**Chapter Thirteen: To Live And Forget**

Damon entered the school gym and eyed the decorations with some amusement. It was hilarious what humans thought was scary, but he couldn't worry about that now. Stefan had contacted him to inform him that Vicki Donovan had gotten loose into the school.  
Damon realised he had not thought his plan through; he had wanted to punish Stefan for locking him up and Vicki had been the perfect way to do so. But she was proving impossible to manage and as Stefan wouldn't let her feed on human blood her behaviour was likely to be more reckless and dangerous because she was hungry. They'd already had to stop her from giving herself away to Tyler Lockwood once.

Damon was focused on tracking Stefan and Vicki and trying to see and hear beyond the party but something caught his eye which momentarily distracted him. Bonnie Bennett was wearing the all-important necklace. Cursing Caroline, he grabbed her arm as she whirled past him in the arms of a pretty boy footballer he knew to be Matt Donovan, Vicki's brother. Bonnie gasped and Matt made to protest his rudeness but Damon looked him in the eye:  
"Carry on and leave us alone." Matt obeyed, and Bonnie looked at Damon strangely.

"What is your problem?" She demanded.

"That's mine, you know." He pointed to the necklace, "Where did you get it?" He knew the answer of course, but he was interested to see how far Bonnie would go to protect Caroline from his wrath. He knew the girl was descended from Emily Bennett, and he knew that she had a sense of what he was even if she didn't know what it meant. He did not care to test any powers she may have, but he did need that stone back.

"I got it from a friend." She said defiantly, meeting his eyes, something few girls did with such aggression and ease.

"So where has Caroline got to, anyway?" Damon asked her in a dangerous tone. Bonnie fixed him with a glare.

"You stay away from her."

"You give me that back," He retorted, glaring at the yellow crystal.

"I'll give it back to Caroline and she can decide what to do with it." He could have just accepted her terms, after all he had other things to worry about; but annoyance forced him to reach out and grab for the necklace. As soon as his hand closed on it, it seared his hand painfully. He let go, burnt. Bonnie Bennett's face and before he could do much more, she had turned and ran. Damon would dearly have liked to chase her but he remembered Vicki. He looked around and Elena was nowhere to be seen. Of course not; she'd put herself in harm's way, no questions asked, especially if it was to protect someone she cared about. He gathered that was the kind of person she was.

* * *

Elena was making her way through the shadowy corridors, worried. She had tried ringing Jeremy but he wasn't answering his phone and dread was filling her gut. Stefan was trying to track Vicki somewhere but she hadn't seen him yet and she was beginning to wonder whether she'd made a mistake in following them out here after all. She didn't feel safe- in fact, she was scared.

"Jeremy?" She was near the back entrance to the school now and she thought she heard something. Elena hurried toward the sound. "Jeremy!" She exited through the open back door and her eyes met the scene before her. Jeremy and Vicki were kissing against the side of the school bus. In a fit of irony, Vicki had come to the party dressed as a vampire. She was too far off to hear what they were saying but she heard when Jeremy's voice became sharp.

"Ow, Vicki, you're taking this costume thing a bit too far- ow, Vicki? Vicki what the hell? Stop!" She had bitten Jeremy's lip and was sucking his blood. Horrified, Elena looked around and saw a plank of wood leaning against the wall. Picking it up, she ran forward:

"Vicki, no!" She swung the plank with all her might and it made contact with Vicki, but it did no more than distract her. Elena was glad that Vicki turned away from her brother but she instead seized Elena and threw her onto a pile of garbage. Gasping, she barely had a minute to collect herself, but shaking her long hair out of her eyes she saw Stefan. He had grabbed Vicki and was holding her against the bus.

"Vicki!" Jeremy cried. Stefan glanced towards him and the distraction was enough to allow Vicki's escape. She vanished from sight and there was a millisecond of terrified silence.

"Get inside! Now!" He bellowed at Elena and Jeremy. Jeremy seemed rooted to the spot but Elena bounded forward and grabbed him, pulling him into the school. Everything was happening too fast; Elena, for the first time, had an idea of how dangerous a vampire could be. Stefan was outside looking for Vicki, but there was hardly more than a few seconds before Elena heard a scream wrenched from her own lips.

Vicki had shoved Jeremy out of the way and her eyes were on Elena. She tried to turn and run but Vicki was on her in seconds, and Elena felt pain as her fangs stabbed furiously into her neck. She could feel the blood being drawn from her body and try as she might, her struggles were futile. But even as she felt the real fear rise, Vicki suddenly froze.  
Her mouth left Elena's neck and she fell back. Stefan was standing behind Vicki, who now had a wooden stake protruding from her chest, right where her heart was. Elena watched, not even hearing Jeremy's anguished cries, as Vicki turned an ugly grey colour. Stiff as a board, she collapsed to the floor, and Elena, horrified, understood: Vicki Donovan was dead. Truly dead. Stefan had killed her out of necessity.

All the sound came roaring back into Elena's ears all at once:  
"Vicki!" Jeremy was yelling, trying to get to her lifeless body, "Vicki!" Stefan was holding him back.

"Get him out of here." Elena couldn't bear to see her little brother in so much pain. He had really cared for Vicki, maybe more than anybody had ever cared for Vicki Donovan, and she had been ripped from his grasp in such a brutal way.

"Elena," Stefan began, obviously not wanting to leave her.

"I've got this. Take him home." A new voice registered. Elena looked around and she saw Damon. Stefan must have let him know what was going on and he'd just arrived. The scene in front of him couldn't be a pretty one. Stefan met his brothers eyes and seemed to concede. He led Jeremy away, leaving Elena and Damon alone with Vicki's body.

They looked at each other for a minute and it seemed to Elena that Damon wanted to say something, but she wasn't ready to hear it, whatever it was. She sat down beside Vicki's body, overwhelmed with sadness. This would destroy Matt, too. Vicki was all he had. Elena seized the stake which was still sticking out of Vicki's body and pulled hard. It came out with a gross noise that made her cringe, and she tossed it aside. She stroked Vicki's hair out of her face.

"Elena," Damon's voice was gentle and he touched her shoulder, "I need to deal with the body." Not comprehending, she looked around at him and met blue eyes as Damon crouched down beside her. They were softer than usual, those orbs.

"What?" She whispered.

"We have to hide the body. Nobody can know about this." Elena hadn't even begun to consider the practicalities of this.

"She's dead." Elena told him blankly. He nodded.

"I know. I know she is. But we'll have to let them think she's missing." Finally, the first tears welled up in Elena's eyes and began to fall. Once she started crying, she couldn't stop.

"Th-this isn't fair! She shouldn't have had to d-die!" Damon's hand hadn't moved from her shoulder and he began rubbing it softly. Somehow, this made Elena cry even harder; she hadn't expected such a gesture from him. She turned her face into his shoulder on instinct and soon her tears were soaking through his shirt. Damon seemed like a statue for a minute but then he became fluid. He adjusted his seating position and pulled her into him, his arms enveloping her, letting her cry.

"I know. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. It wasn't meant to end up like this." It was the second time he had apologised to her for his wrongdoing. Damon Salvatore didn't think of himself as the remorseful type but he knew when he'd screwed up; this had been inevitable. Between him and Stefan, Vicki Donovan hadn't had a chance surviving as a human or a vampire. But, she had made her death necessary. He could see where she'd bitten Elena. Luckily the wound wasn't that deep and her hair would hide it. He couldn't let himself feel guilty or he'd never be able to do what needed to be done.

"Elena, you need to get home. You need to go home and look after Jeremy. I have to clean up before anybody comes out here and sees this." Elena drew away from his shoulder and looked up into his face. Some of her tears were clinging to her eyelashes and despite the fact her make-up was running, she looked beautiful. He brushed some of her hair out of her face and tried to get into her head, trying to place calming notions there. But then he remembered the vervain-filled pendant around her neck and he gave up. Elena took a few steading breaths and nodded. Damon helped her to her feet. She was clearly trying not to look at Vicki's body anymore.

"Thank you Damon." She said. He hadn't expected that.

"What for?" Elena bit her lip, apparently not sure herself. She just peered up at him for a moment, then surprised him even more by tiptoeing to plant a kiss on his cheek. It was very warm. She said nothing more but departed, leaving him to his task.

Elena couldn't move when she got into her car. Matt had stopped her on her way out and asked if she'd seen Vicki. She'd lied and said she didn't know where she was. It broke her heart to see Matt concerned about his sister, even a little tired of having to be concerned, but she knew he'd never stop caring. He had a heart of gold. When she got into her car, she cried again. Why was the world so unfair? Jeremy wouldn't have any idea what was going on and even worse, he'd be devastated. He'd already been through so much and she couldn't stand to see him suffer anymore. She knew that when she got home, she was facing one of the hardest conversations she'd ever have to have with her little brother.

Eventually, Elena was home. Stefan was waiting for her on the porch with a grim expression on his face. Elena understood why he'd done what he did, but it still seemed so unfair.  
"Where is he?" She asked him without saying anything else.

"Inside." She headed in. Jeremy was sobbing on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably. It took every ounce of Elena's strength not to give in and cry again with him. Vicki had not been her favourite person but she was someone Elena had known her whole life and her heart broke for the people who loved Vicki and had now lost her. Elena sat down beside Jeremy.

"Do you understand what happened?" She asked him softly. He looked at her despairingly.

"No. No, how could I? I know what I saw but I don't… I don't understand."

"Vicki was going to kill me." She stopped short of making excuses for her death; she wouldn't rather have died herself, but she didn't want Jeremy to have to live with this memory. If only she could take it away…

"Now she's dead." He broke down again, "Vicki's dead."

"I'm sorry, Jer… Sssh, it's okay." It wasn't okay and Elena knew that, but she held her little brother and lied to him anyway.

"Why does everybody have to die on me?" Elena swallowed the huge lump in her throat. It was some time before she got out of there. She didn't think she could take seeing him like that anymore, not that and keep it together for him too. Jeremy needed her to be strong. She was just glad that Jenna was already in bed and wasn't there to witness all of this.

Stefan was sitting on the porch and Elena took in a huge breath of cool autumn air. Stefan looked anguished, his hands on his knees staring at the ground. She realised how much it had cost him to kill Vicki; he never would have done it if he saw a way to avoid it, she knew.  
"Are you okay?" She asked him. He looked at her as if she was crazy for worrying about him at a time like this, and maybe she was.

"I wanted to help her." He said, "I wanted to help her and instead…" He shook his head.

"He's just a kid," Elena sighed, her thoughts with her brother, "I don't want him to go through this again." Stefan looked at her sadly.

"What can I do to help, Elena? I… I'll do anything I can." Elena for a moment had no idea. She just wished Jeremy had never had to live through all of this, it was too hard on him… unconsciously, she ran her hand across her neck and winced when she made contact with her bite wound. But then her hand settled on the vervain-filled necklace.

"Can you make him forget?" The question left her lips full of hope, pleading. Vampires had caused all of these problems, maybe they could solve it. Stefan could compel Jeremy to forget everything… but Stefan's expression looked gutted. And Elena suddenly remembered what Caroline had told her, that Stefan's dietary choices made him weaker, made his powers and compulsion less effective.

"I can't, Elena. I couldn't guarantee it'd work." He wanted to though, she could see that.

"I can." She hadn't heard him approach, but Damon was there. Although he was immaculate and there was no obvious sign that he'd just disposed of a body, his demeanour was sombre. Elena thought how he'd held her as she cried and she wished for a moment that he would hold her again. Damon's eyes met hers: "If it's what you want, I'll do it. I'll make him forget."

"Just… take away his suffering, Damon." She watched him walk inside her house. Through the walls, she could hear some gentle murmurs but she decided to shut it out. She couldn't listen while he did what she asked, even though he was doing what she wanted him to do. Elena sighed and sat down beside Stefan, feeling lost.

"I wish I could forget it all too." This came out as mutter, but Stefan heard her loud and clear.

"Is that really what you want?" It felt strange to be so close in proximity to Stefan after her moment with Damon earlier that night. He was looking at her distantly, almost wistfully. She wondered about the past 145 years. She didn't doubt there were innumerable things Stefan probably wished he could forget about.

"Yes," She sighed, "But I can't. I can't afford to forget any of it… I can't lose any of it. The bad parts, or the good." Stefan squeezed her hand, which was limp on the bench between them. She appreciated the gesture, even as he let go. That was when Damon returned. His expression was inscrutable.

"It's done." He told her. Elena nodded and stood up. She gave Stefan a parting nod and brushed past Damon on her way into the house. As she did so, she thought she felt his fingers brush her wrist very lightly, barely detectably.


	14. The One He Fears

**Chapter Fourteen: The One He Fears**

The week that followed Vicki's death were a nightmare of police interviews, public appeals and posters of Vicki's face being placed everywhere. Elena told the police that she hadn't seen Vicki, that she guessed she'd left town, and that she didn't think she'd come back. Sheriff Forbes had seemed to believe that Elena was telling the truth as she knew it, even if she didn't really believe that Vicki had taken off out of nowhere.  
Jeremy seemed different. He was drawing again. He was going to school, doing his homework and behaving more normally than he had in months. Damon had compelled him to believe that Vicki leaving was for the best and that he shouldn't dwell on it. Elena wondered whether there was more to it though, because Jeremy was back to the boy he'd been before their parents died all of a sudden.

Elena's sleep had been even more troubled in the week following that night, though now the images were no longer distinct; they were just disturbing and fast and blurry. When she awoke in the middle of the night she was as out of breath as if she'd run a marathon. She was on her side facing her alarm clock and through the darkness, it glowed at her, informing her that it was 3:52am.  
"Perfect," She whispered to herself, flipping over onto her back and turning her head to the other side. She almost screamed when she found Damon lying there beside her, smirking, but he managed to clap his hand over her mouth until she'd calmed down.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, once he'd released her.

"I thought you might be having nightmares again." Damon's arms were crossed under his head as he leaned back against her pillows. His legs were also crossed over and Elena noticed he'd removed both his jacket and his shoes. She wondered how long he'd been there. Her eyes traced his body unbidden; the top few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a little of his smooth, pale and well-muscled chest. Above that, his Adam's apple sat in his throat. "See something you like?" He teased, watching her. Elena felt her face heat up and looked away from him, up at the ceiling.

"What did you do to Jeremy?" She whispered.

"I took away his suffering, like you asked." Damon replied evenly.

"Nothing else?"

"No." He replied. Elena didn't react, and so he sat up and leant over her, forcing her to meet his eyes, "That was it, Elena." She could tell he was being sincere, and so she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. Awkwardly for her, he didn't retreat from his position. He stayed poised over her, leaning on his elbow, watching her face.

"What do you want, Damon?" Elena asked him tiredly. His gaze lingered on her lips.

"Why did you kiss me?" He said after a pause. He sounded a little coy, almost shy. Elena made the mistake of really looking at him. His gaze was away from hers now, and his dark eyelashes almost brushed his cheek as they shielded his bright blue eyes.

"It was only on the cheek, Damon." Elena reminded him gently. His gaze switched back to her and she felt trapped where she lay, like she couldn't move.

"Yes, but why? I don't deserve your courtesy. We both know that." Elena honestly wished she knew the answer to this question. The moment they had shared that night had lingered in the back of her mind this past week.

Damon had seemed different that night. He hadn't smirked his sarcastic smirk or made any snarky comments the entire time. She had seen only snatches of that version of Damon before the night Vicki died- the little pieces of what she understood to be his humanity which he reluctantly showed, or which escaped in spite of himself, when he spoke to her. But that night his whole demeanour had been different and she had hardly been able to recognise him. She had liked what she saw then, though, and that knowledge scared her. Damon was still dangerous.

"I did it because I wanted to," Elena replied finally.

"Even though it was my fault? I killed Vicki, really, even if it Stefan who wielded the stake." Elena knew that. She might have felt the need to shout this back in his face that night, but Damon had seemed the only solid thing to her then. The only honest thing.

"Even then." These things were easy to confess at 4am. Damon grazed her cheek with his thumb before moving his hand down to her chain. Elena wondered what he was doing as he pulled it so that the clasp came to the front. Her skin felt hot as his hands brushed her collarbone. He removed the necklace and leaned over to place it on the bedside table, before he smoothed some of Elena's hair out of her face. His eyes met hers.

"Elena, you're going to go to sleep. You're going to dream a happy dream, one where all of your friends are together and having fun. The sun is going to shine. In the morning, you'll put your necklace back on the second you wake up and you'll be ready for the day ahead. You won't remember this."

* * *

He'd just needed to know. Damon had just needed to know what was going on in her head. She should have been furious with him about Vicki, she should have hated him. But nothing he did seemed to make Elena entirely hate him. Damon was old enough and clever enough to realise that Elena Gilbert was falling for him, even if she didn't quite know that yet. He walked through the silent town. The rising of the sun was several hours away. When he had been human this had been his favourite time of day to go exploring Mystic Falls with Katherine. His memories of then seemed to have fuzzy edges, and he didn't know if that was because it all happened so long ago or because he was viewing it all with rose-tinted glasses.

Katherine. She was what he was here for. He couldn't allow this business with Elena to distract him. Besides, he was all wrong for Elena and any fool could see that.

Vampires didn't physically need to sleep, but mentally they did, to recharge. And Damon was certainly mentally exhausted. He noticed on his way in that Stefan had fallen asleep on the couch whilst reading and he had to resist the urge to jam said book where the sun didn't shine. Why was his younger brother so useless? He should be getting the girl. That way, Elena would realise how terrible Damon was for her before it was too late.

He was most disgruntled to be awoken several hours later by the sound of laughter. He was not in the mood to laugh, that was for certain. And Stefan shouldn't be either, given he just murdered somebody. But without opening his eyes, Damon listened in across the hallway to Stefan's room, where the raucous was coming froml

"What are we doing for your birthday? It's not every day a guy turns a hundred and sixty-two years old." He heard. Damon groaned to himself- Lexi was here. He tuned their conversation out, trying to go back to sleep, but he knew it was too late. Now he was awake that would be it. He sighed and got out of bed instead, heading out for his morning blood bag. He'd totally forgotten that today was Stefan's birthday, but it had given him an idea.

He was aware, having flirted with and compelled the Mayor's wife, Carol Lockwood, that the Founders Council were only too aware that there were vampires in town. Damon had been too reckless when he made his presence known, not cleaning up after himself well enough and given that he didn't have the crystal thanks to Caroline, it seemed he'd have to slip under the radar if he was going to be forced to stick around Mystic Falls for a while. A party at the grill would give him an opportunity to get them off his back. All it'd take was a gift of a box of Zach's vervain to the Sheriff and Lexi's presence at the Grill. They'd never come if he was throwing a party though…

Damon waited, listening. First, his brother and his friend talked about what'd happened with Logan Fell. Lexi tried to convince Stefan to go see Bon Jovi with her in New York, whilst Stefan made feeble protestations about staying for Elena. He snorted as he swallowed a mouthful of blood- that'd be news to Elena. But then Stefan announced that he was due in another round of questioning by the Sheriff about Vicki's disappearance.

Eventually, he heard Lexi settle down to sleep in Stefan's bed and, much as he had with Elena the previous night, he lay next to her. Her mind was not easy to penetrate given that she drank human blood, but he managed to do so enough that she woke up. She was, unsurprisingly, not very pleased to see Damon; the last time she had, he'd tried to kill her in quite a heartless way.  
"Boo." He greeted her.

"Ugh." Lexi gave him a disgusted look.

"What an unexpected surprise." He indicated her presence in their house.

"I think you're the one who needed to go back to high school, not Stefan _. Unexpected surprise_." She repeated his turn of phrase with an eye roll. Damon took it in his stride, though he admittedly felt a little strange laying eyes on Lexi. He thought about that sunny day years ago when she'd almost burnt to death because of him. She had been trying to help him switch his humanity back on, much as she had done many times with Stefan. He was painfully aware that Lexi had been a much better friend to him than he'd ever had, or deserved, and he'd still treated her abominably. He'd never thought about it before, but he felt nauseated as the guilt bit into him.

"So how long are you here for?" He asked her, pushing his inner feelings aside.

"Just for Stefan's B-Day." Lexi got out of bed and Damon followed suit, stopping her movement as he leant against the post on Stefan's bed.

"You mean you didn't come all this way just to see me?" This was the sort of line that Damon pulled out for girls when he wanted them to melt, but it didn't work on Lexi. She merely snorted in an unladylike manner.

"That's it, Damon. After a century I finally realise death means nothing without you." He had to admire her for her perfect sarcasm.

"Why are you so mean to me?" He pouted.

"Have you met you? You're not a nice person." Lexi said slowly, stating the obvious.

"Because I'm a vampire." The humanity switch was one of the best parts of being undead, in his own opinion. It was a pity it didn't seem to be working very well lately, he mused.

"Yeah but only the bad parts." He hated how Lexi always made him think; he didn't ask for it, but even now his thoughts went to Elena. He wondered whether she considered him to only be bad. He didn't want her to think that somehow, though it might help if she did think that because then she'd do herself a favour and stay away from him. If only he could also stay away from her.

"Teach me to be good," He purred at Lexi instead, leaning in. Quick as a flash she grabbed him by the throat easily. Damon began to choke as she lifted him a couple of inches off the ground. Her hazel-green eyes fixed him with a firm and ferocious glare:

"I'm older, and that means stronger." He knew what she meant. Lexi was roughly 350 years old and she could easily rip him limb from limb. Damon had gotten far too used to being the strong one around these parts but he had to admit that she had put him back in his place- for now.

"S-sorry," He managed to croak out, and she let him go. He rubbed his neck angrily.

"Don't ruin my time with Stefan. I'll hurt you. And you know I can do it." She added with venom, before swishing out of the room with a cascade of long blonde hair.

* * *

"Elena?" Bonnie had entered her bedroom. Elena hadn't actually left her bed for longer than five minutes that day. She had done so long enough to find Jeremy quite happily doing homework while Jenna sulked about Logan giving her the brush off and skipping town. Elena was feeling out of sorts herself. She felt like she was forgetting something, though she didn't know what, and that morning she had woken up to find her necklace wasn't on though she didn't remember taking it off.

"What's up?" Bonnie tried to yank back the covers from Elena, but she wasn't having it. "Why haven't you called me back?"

"I don't…" Elena hesitated. She hadn't decided what to tell Bonnie yet. "I guess I don't really know. I'm tired of thinking." Bonnie looked sympathetic, though not as if she knew what to say. "If I tell you something will you swear not to judge me?"

"I'll do my best." Bonnie agreed.

"I… I think I have feelings for somebody… someone I should _not_ have feelings for." Elena looked at her best friend nervously. She knew Bonnie neither liked nor trusted Damon even a little bit. "It's Damon." She admitted, with difficulty.

"Okay, so now I'm officially worried." Bonnie clambered into bed beside her, chewing her lip. "And I know I've been a really bad friend lately, not around when you clearly need me to talk sense into you. I'm sorry." Elena knew she'd hardly been the best friend to Bonnie, either, but she appreciated the gesture all the same.

"You could make it up to me by taking my mind off things." Elena suggested with a small grin. Bonnie grinned back a little.

"You asked for this." She got up and closed the door, before seizing one of Elena's pillows and ripping it open. Elena's protest was lost as a cloud of down feathers came cascading out of it. Bonnie fixed her with a look. "I have to swear you to secrecy."

"Oh god, it's kind of a bad week for that." Elena was more tired of secrets than anybody could have comprehended. She was reminded of how much she was hiding whenever she saw Jeremy acting completely as if nothing had happened, like Vicki hadn't been a vampire who tried to kill his sister before she was staked through the heart. That had been what Elena wanted but Jeremy had transformed so much that she almost felt as if she'd stolen a part of his life away. Bonnie was checking there was no air conditioning or open windows. Once she confirmed this, she looked at Elena, hand poised.

"Do you swear?" Bonnie asked her again.

"Yes, I swear." Elena agreed.

"Okay. Grams showed me this." And Bonnie closed her eyes, concentrating. Elena watched and gasped as a feather began to float. Bonnie opened her eyes and smiled as Elena watched, fascinated. Soon more feathers joined and Bonnie had them swirl around the room. Elena laughed as they floated around her head, and when they all came to rest, Bonnie was smiling too.

"So everything your Grams said is true. You're really a witch." Elena concluded. Bonnie nodded.

"Yeah… it's hard to believe it's all real, isn't it?" Elena thought about it for a minute.

"You know, I don't find it difficult at all."

* * *

Damon had successfully completed one of his aims; he'd gotten Sheriff Forbes to accept Zach's vervain and in exchange she had given him the names of every vampire hunter in town. She had no idea of Damon's true nature and she was unlikely to check now that she believed he hated vampires just as much as the rest of the Founders Council. Now, it was to find her junior, Caroline. He had to set up the perfect scenario and she was the perfect person for the job.

He had half-expected her to decline meeting him outside the Grill given her current hostility levels towards him, but she had come. Her arms were crossed and she looked most displeased to see him, in any case.  
"Look, I'm not your slave anymore, and if you _think_ for a _second_ that I…" Damon focused on compelling her to change her attitude, "Oh my god, it's so good to see you!" Caroline greeted him cheerfully. Damon smirked.

"That's better. Now, you're going to throw a party here at the Grill tonight."

"Why can't you do it?" She asked.

"Because then Stefan and his friend won't come. I need a lot of people to be there. Invite everyone." Damon added. Caroline had no choice but to agree, but she did have the option of asking questions.

"Why am I throwing this party?" She asked.

"I have to solve this vampire problem and I need your help. Also, I need my crystal back." Caroline's face fell slightly at this part.

"Bonnie has it." She told him with some guilt.

"I know. Get it back from her." He left her standing there with nothing more to say. Caroline was clearly Mystic Falls' queen of events and he knew she was more than capable of pulling off this party.

When he got home he entered the house to hear Lexi and Stefan discussing Elena. Lexi was of the mind that Stefan could convince Elena to come around to liking him. Stefan, noble as ever, stated that he wasn't going to trick Elena into falling for him. Damon eavesdropped for a few minutes, his jaw clenched. He hated hearing Stefan moon over Elena. Although part of him knew Elena was much safer on Stefan's arm than alone now that she knew about the supernatural world, and also that she needed somebody like Stefan, he didn't ever want to see it happen. It wasn't something he could explain- but something told him Stefan wasn't right for Elena; not really. Stefan hid everything from the world- everything about his true nature was buried deep. Damon didn't pretend to be anyone other than who he was unless it suited some purpose which benefited himself- another integral part of who he was. Stefan's dishonesty bugged him, and Stefan's lying to himself was the worst part of it.

"… I delight in hedonism. Speaking of which, what are we doing tonight?" Lexi was saying, and Damon took this as his cue to enter.

"It's funny you should ask," He said.

"Well it's funny that I didn't ask _you."_ Lexi retorted over her blood bag. Stefan smiled- Lexi had always been better at getting one up on his brother than he had. Damon chose to ignore her comment.

"There's a party on at the grill tonight- all the American classics- banquettes, tacky staff, Stefan's friends." He listed. His phone buzzed as he spoke and he saw a text from Caroline:  
 _ **'Party all set. People will be there from 7.'**_ Damon smirked at Stefan and Lexi in satisfaction.

"I don't want a birthday party," Stefan rolled his eyes.

"It's not for you, it's a party in general, thrown by Caroline. Nobody will know it's your birthday." He could see that Lexi was certainly enticed by the idea. One thing he could say for her was that she could be fun, unlike Stefan.

"I thought we agreed that you were going to stay away from Caroline." Stefan, proving Damon's notion of him as a buzzkill, said.

"We're friends, it's all good. Besides, we need to try and blend in with the normal folk so we have to get out and about sometimes. It's healthy all round." He exited, knowing from the cat-with-a-mouse look in Lexi's eyes that this battle was won. If anybody could convince Stefan to stop being himself once in a while, it was her.

 **A/N: I know this was a long one, I hope you guys didn't mind! I also know it was more Damon than Elena, but I hope you see why. Also I know I did it again, uploading a raw version before I'd edited it properly, thus having to re-add this chapter. I hope I didn't ramble too much. Anyway, I see a lot of follows and favourites which I am super grateful for! I'd also love it if you would leave me a review too letting me know what you're thinking!**


	15. Lexi's End

**Chapter Fifteen: Lexi's End**

' _ **It's Stefan's b-day and he thinks he isn't coming 2 the grill. U need to get his ass there!'**_ Elena had been arguing by text message with Caroline against going to the Salvatore Boarding House, but Caroline was like a dog with a bone and she was losing the battle. She'd also had no idea it was Stefan's birthday; she wondered how old he was. But Caroline was right; you couldn't stay in on your birthday, and Stefan hadn't been out very much lately. Resigned, she'd driven over there eventually, only hoping against hope that she wouldn't run into Damon.

With some trepidation, she knocked on the door. She was surprised when a female voice trilled, "It's open! Come in!" Elena entered the house to find herself looking at a beautiful girl with long hair and wearing nothing but a towel. The young woman's face changed to one of shock when she laid eyes on Elena though.  
"Oh my God… how… how… who?" She stammered. Elena thought that the girl must be some conquest of Damon's who believed she'd been caught out by his girlfriend. Ignoring the knot forming in her stomach, Elena said:

"I'm Elena. Uh, who are you?" She tried not to sound rude. After all, she had no hold over Damon. But Lexi's face if anything just looked even more shocked.

"I'm Lexi, a friend of Stefan's." Well, that had put paid to her Damon theory. Stefan had never struck her as the type to do this kind of thing, but she was nobody to judge. In fact, Elena felt a strange sense of relief that Lexi was a 'friend' of the younger Salvatore brother and not the elder one.

"Is he here?" Elena asked her more warmly than before.

"He's just in the shower. Did you want to wait?" She gestured to the couch, but Elena shook her head. She didn't want to hang around this house longer than necessary and besides, she felt sort of awkward catching Stefan in the middle of whatever this was. "I'll tell him you stopped by." Lexi offered with a smile, confusing Elena even more.

"Um, thanks. Uh, bye." She scrambled before any more awkward conversation could be had.

Elena was uncomfortably aware that Stefan did more than simply reciprocate her friendship. He was in love with her. Anybody could see that, and honestly it scared her. She had conflicted feelings when it came to him- she felt that if she hadn't met his brother, things would have been different. She would have probably returned his feelings and who knew where they'd be. But she was still surprised and shocked to have found Lexi in nothing but a towel at the house, with Stefan. Maybe he was getting over her? Elena was sort of glad for this, because it'd take a nagging pressure away from her. She couldn't sort out her own feelings properly with the knowledge that Stefan, on paper her perfect guy, was openly falling for her.

She returned home from the Salvatore house and set about getting ready for the party. She told Caroline by message that she hadn't managed to speak to Stefan but that hopefully he'd show up.  
"So what's this party at the Grill in aid of?" Jenna asked her.

"Nothing," Elena shrugged, "Caroline doesn't need an excuse. It's Stefan's birthday, though."

"Ah. No news there?" Jenna said, more to tease her now than to genuinely enquire about whether Elena was going to date Stefan. Elena found this immensely annoying but decided not to rise to the teasing, especially considering her aunt was tucking into a tub of ice cream and wallowing after Logan had skipped town.

"You could come down to the Grill you know- show the world you're over it already." Elena suggested. Jenna laughed but shook her head.

"I don't wanna be the old fogey at a party full of teenagers. But thanks for the offer." Elena smiled but then the doorbell rang. She headed out to the hallway and opened it. She was surprised to find Stefan there.

"Hey," He greeted her.

"What are you doing here?" Elena looked over his shoulder but his blonde friend from earlier didn't seem to be with him. Stefan smiled wryly.

"Lexi told me you came by and you seemed kind of- upset?" Elena didn't think that 'upset' was the right word; shocked might be, though.

"Oh right. The girl in the towel," She said, half-jokingly. Stefan's forest green eyes widened a little in understanding.

"Oh, no, no! Nothing like that! You know Lexi's only three hundred and fifty years old." He added, a rarely seen twinkle of humour in his eyes. Elena's mouth opened in surprise when this sunk in.

"OH. She's a…" She didn't have to finish the line for Stefan to get what she was talking about. He nodded, smiling.

"Yeah and my oldest friend. Nothing romantic." Elena nodded, everything making sense now. Lexi had opened the door to find whom she momentarily believed to be Katherine on the other side. Understandably, she'd been even more shocked when she found that this person was actually Elena, and that the girl who Stefan liked was identical to his ex-girlfriend. It'd had nothing to do with believing she'd been caught out cheating, and even better, absolutely nothing to do with Damon.

"Oh, I see." Elena smiled.

"So why did you come by?" He asked her, reminding her of her true purpose earlier on.

"Caroline wanted me to beg you to come to the Grill tonight. She heard it was your birthday." Stefan sighed and Elena gathered that he hadn't wanted to make a huge deal out of another in a long line of birthdays.

"Yeah. Well, Lexi's dragging me out tonight whether I like it or not. Are you going?" He added, looking hopeful. Elena might have been tempted to decline but she hadn't been out since Vicki had died and it would be good to socialise, so she nodded.

"Yeah I'm going." She told him. Stefan smiled.

"I'll give you a ride- you can get to know Lexi. She's _dying_ to get to know you." It wasn't too much later when Stefan returned by car. Lexi was equally beautiful clothed as she was naked and Elena tried to conjure up an image of what she imaged somebody who was 350 years old ought to look like as she climbed into the back seat of Stefan's car.

"I'm sorry for the awkwardness earlier on," Lexi confessed as they drove towards town and the Grill, "Usually I wear clothes." It was hard not warm to Lexi, Elena thought. She was friendly, chatty and came across kind. But at the same time there was a hard centre, she could tell- something about her which was no-nonsense and straightforward. Lexi was like somebody Elena might like to be. It was very easy to forget she was a vampire.

"Usually people don't mistake me for somebody who died." Even Stefan smiled a little at this joke, Elena saw so in the wing-mirror. She supposed he'd been afraid she wouldn't like Lexi.

"So Elena, you seeing anyone?" Lexi launched immediately. Elena spluttered.

"I, uh-" She began.

"Lex." Stefan fixed his friend with a stern look. Lexi just laughed at the pair of them with their shocked expressions.

* * *

Damon knew the exact moment they entered the Grill. He was standing by the bar when Stefan, Lexi and Elena entered the Grill. He was disgruntled to see the latter, having counted on her to stay home. He'd been in his room when Elena had met Lexi for the first time and had heard everything- he'd just hoped it'd bother Elena more that Stefan seemed to have somebody else, or put her off going out. He didn't want her around for what was going to go down tonight.

He caught Caroline by the arm as she walked by and yanked her around to face him.  
"You haven't got my crystal yet." He growled, annoyed.

"Bonnie won't give it to me- she said that she knows I'm just going to give it to you and she doesn't want you to have it." Damon narrowed his eyes, searching the busy Grill until he spotted Bonnie over by Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood. She was wearing the crystal.

"Rip it off her neck." He told Caroline, switching his attention back to the blonde.

"I tried. It shocked me." Damon sighed; he couldn't touch it and neither could Caroline. If Bonnie Bennett knew what was good for her she'd hand the crystal over and be done with it. But she was so hell-bent on hating him that she was being stubborn. He wondered why they couldn't grab it, though. He let go of Caroline roughly, causing her to stumble backwards a little.

"Why are you being like this?" She asked, "I've done everything I can to help you. It's just a stupid necklace." But Damon was angry and he stood up from his bar stool, glaring down at Caroline, who had the sense to look scared.

"The only thing stupid here is you." He wanted to fling more insults, to wound Caroline for letting him down, but he knew it wasn't really her fault. Some sort of magic surrounded that crystal and he supposed it had to do with the fact that a descendant of its original owner, Emily, was wearing it. But, it was time to execute the second part of his plan. He downed the rest of his bourbon, slammed the glass down on the bar, and exited the Grill.

Anger was still strong in his veins; he knew he could be smarter than this, but at that moment Damon didn't care. He hated Lexi. He hated Lexi for making him feel. All he could feel was guilt and shame for everything he had done. Damon had realised tonight that his humanity was back on whether he liked it or not, and he couldn't cope with it. He couldn't cope with it without Katherine.

A young couple were kissing not far from the exit of the Grill, inside a dark alcove in the street. Damon watched them for a moment, a thousand emotions roaring through his system.

* * *

Elena was watching Stefan and Lexi play pool. He seemed like a different person completely with Lexi around- he was relaxed and enjoying himself, making jokes. She wished she could see more of this side of him. She enjoyed Stefan's company ordinarily but it was nice to see him at ease for once, not brooding or secretive. Lexi caught Elena's eye every now and then and smiled. Elena gestured towards the bar at one of these moments and headed towards it with the intention of getting a drink. While she was waiting, she turned back to watch the two friends play from afar. She just felt pleasure at seeing her friend enjoy himself, nothing more, but a voice in her ear made her jump.

"Stefan smiles. Alert the media." Elena jumped and turned to glare at Damon.

"You have _got_ to stop doing that." She told him, annoyed. "What did you do to my brother?" She, of course, had no memory of Damon's visit to her the night before.

"You're going to need to be more specific." Damon taunted her. Elena frowned.

"When you changed Jeremy's memory of Vicki, what else did you do?" She asked.

"You wanted me to take away his suffering, so I did." Damon replied patiently. Elena bit her lip.

"He's acting differently. He's doing his homework, he's not taking drugs or drinking, he's just… he's a little _too_ okay." She surveyed his face closely, trying to detect some sign of secrecy but there was none. Damon just looked her in the eyes.

"Elena, I took away his suffering. _He isn't suffering anymore_." He left it at that, winding his way through the crowd and away from her. Elena moved, wondering whether or not to follow him, but then Lexi was beside her just as the bartender arrived to take her order. Elena smiled at Lexi, though admittedly her smile was a little strained. Lexi's eyes went over her head to where Damon had gone.

"Three shots of tequila." Lexi spoke before Elena could, cutting off the latter's protests with a look. Elena shook her head in amusement- Lexi was like a tornado.

"I'm gonna need to see some I.D." The barman told her. Lexi leant in and Elena watched, seeing Lexi's pupils dilate hypnotically.

"No you don't." The bartender blinked.

"That'll be…"

"Free!" Lexi interjected and he said,

"On the house." Only when he had turned away to pour the shots did Lexi turn back to Elena, a gleam in her eye. Elena sighed, knowing she was finally in for an interrogation, Stefan being the other side of the room and thus unable to stop Lexi from asking away.

"Okay, so what's the deal with you and the Salvatore brothers?" She asked Elena bluntly, though not in an unfriendly way. Elena sighed.

"As far as I'm concerned there is no deal. With either of them," She added for clarity.

"Right. Well what I see is," Lexi handed Elena one of the shots and walked over to a nearby table, where she set the other two down and took a seat. Elena sat down adjacent from her, waiting, "Stefan is clearly head over heels in love with you. Now trust me, I quizzed him on the whole Katherine-resemblance thing and he assures me that you're nothing like her. And I don't need to tell you how great I think Stefan is. I mean, he's my best friend, I could sell him all day. But what I'm seeing is a girl who watches _Damon Salvatore_ walking away from her."

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I don't… _feel_ that way about Stefan. If I did, my life would be simpler." Elena's response came after a moment's thought. She'd considered lying to Lexi about it all and feigning ignorance but something told her it wouldn't wash. It was nice to be able to talk to another female about it, one who was clued in on the full story.

"And what about Damon?" Elena lifted the tequila shot Lexi had bought her and downed it. Spluttering a little in the aftermath, she replied:

"I know I should be staying as far away from him as possible." Lexi drank both of the remaining shots in quick succession without even flinching. Stefan had mentioned to her before that alcohol helped with the craving for blood, just as coffee helped keep their body temperatures warm. When she had slammed the second shot glass down, Lexi leaned in and Elena saw that her gaze was not un-empathetic:

"But you can't." Elena shook her head in agreement. All the confusion and shame surrounding her feelings for Damon were surfacing fast. She glanced in Stefan's direction but he was talking to Matt. She hoped he couldn't hear this conversation over the noise in the bar. Lexi sighed.

"I can't make you fall in love with Stefan. I can see that you care about him, and I want to thank you for that. But the heart wants what it wants and Damon… he is dangerous, Elena. I know you know that, but I can't over-emphasise that. And he's never gotten over Katherine… just don't forget that." She squeezed Elena's hand and strangely, Elena felt better. She smiled at Lexi.

"Thank you. It was really nice meeting you." She watched the blonde walk away and then looked around. Caroline was hammered and being rescued by Matt, who was taking her home. Elena noticed some kind of commotion around the door and thought that they were likely about to be busted- the bartenders were serving most people without checking and Sheriff Forbes was not likely to be happy. Rising, Elena headed for the door. She'd have to walk home, but she didn't really want to have to ask for a ride from anybody. Bonnie seemed to have disappeared and everyone else was having a good time- besides, it was unseasonably warm outside and it was a nice night.

Her opinion of this changed when she arrived outside. The police were cordoning off an area near to the entrance of the bar and she could see blood. Matt was piling Caroline into his car to take her home and Sheriff Forbes was comforting a sniffling girl and hadn't appeared to notice Elena.  
"Show me who it was…" She led the girl inside. Elena frowned in the direction of the apparent crime scene but she couldn't see who it was or what might have happened. They were covering the body over. Elena's heart picked up speed. What was going on?

A second later, the Sheriff reappeared with an unconscious Lexi. Two police officers grabbed her and began carting her toward the cop car, but Lexi woke up. She struggled against the officers and she spotted Elena. She fought more ferociously and managed to throw them off. Elena opened her mouth to call out, to tell them that they had it wrong, Lexi was innocent. But then Damon was there, suddenly, out of nowhere. Elena watched as he plunged the stake through Lexi's heart and she watched as the girl's last breath left her. Like Vicki had, Lexi turned grey and stiff.

Damon's back tensed and he turned. His blue eyes met hers. His expression was unreadable then, but Elena wasn't interested in reading it. She turned to run back into the Grill, only to collide with Stefan's chest. Stefan's eyes were on his brother and she had never seen such emotion on his face: he was beyond furious; he was _murderous_. But there were too many people around and somehow, through her horror, Elena's brain kicked in.

"Stefan. Come _on_." She shoved him hard but he didn't move or even look down at her. "Stefan, move! Now! We can't do this here!" She pounded on his chest and he started, looking down and seeming surprised to see Elena there. She grabbed his hand and tugged on it, pulling him away, back into the Grill, all the while choking back her nausea.

 **A/N: Okay so here is chapter fifteen. I toyed with the idea of not killing Lexi off in this story but I decided against breaking canon for now. You never know what might happen in the future though ;) I basically tried my best to tell an alternative version of Lexi and Elena's short story which fit the original feeling without sacrificing the plot of this story. I hope it worked! I also tried to show a little snippet of what Damon was feeling in the build up to her death. I hope you liked this, please review!**


	16. In The Presence Of The Supernatural

**Chapter Sixteen: In The Presence Of The Supernatural**

After all that Elena had seen, it was surreal going back to school as if nothing had happened. The corridors felt alien to her, and she felt strangely separate from everybody else there. She feared she hadn't been very successful in calming Stefan down after Damon killed Lexi, but she couldn't' say she blamed him for being angry. She only hoped he'd left Damon alive, because Stefan could never live with himself if he killed his own brother, no matter what differences they had.

Sitting down in her History class, she glanced at Stefan. His eyes were fixed down on his notebook before him and he didn't meet her gaze. So, Elena glanced back towards Bonnie, but she wasn't there. Elena knew she'd gone to her science class the period before so she wondered what'd made her skip History. She hoped that wouldn't mean she had to walk home from school, because Bonnie was supposed to be giving her a ride. But then a man entered the room and order was restored. He picked up some chalk and wrote on the board: ' _Alaric Saltzman'._ He went on to introduce himself as their new History teacher, along with some history surrounding his background and his name.

"You can call me Rick." Alaric Saltzman added at the end, a departure from Mr Tanner's more traditional approach to the classroom, and a surprise to Elena; Alaric looked tough and no-nonsense, but she could see that he had a kind face. He also proved to be a much better teacher than Mr Tanner had ever been. Elena had always found History a drag but Alaric made things interesting and she was surprised that he succeeded in taking her mind off all things vampire-related for a while. But, it was only a while. As soon as the bell rang, she remembered and she glanced towards Stefan, hoping to speak to him and find out what had happened between him and Damon after he'd gotten home following the Grill, but Stefan had packed up at lightning speed and taken off out of the class. Sighing, Elena headed outside, looking for any sign of Bonnie.

She was unsuccessful in that part and Bonnie didn't answer her text message, but she did run into Caroline.  
"Hey," She greeted the blonde. It occurred to Elena that she hadn't seen Caroline for longer than a few minutes since that same night at the Grill, when Caroline had been drunk. She knew that she and Bonnie had argued about the necklace though, as Caroline had tried to snatch it back off of her.

"Hi. Have you seen Bonnie?" Caroline asked, raising the subject immediately.

"No, she didn't show up to History." Caroline chewed her lip, looking annoyed.

"I'm so mad at her." She announced.

"Why? I mean, have you even tried talking to her since that night?" The night Elena would rather forget every queasy detail of.

"No. She should make the first move." Elena let out another sigh. They seemed to be increasing in their frequency every day. She knew that Caroline planned to give Damon the necklace back, and she knew how difficult it was to refuse Damon, given his temper and not to mention his compulsion. Bonnie had no idea about that. Still, Elena had to admit she didn't think it was a good idea for Damon to have that crystal- she didn't know what he wanted it for but she had a bad feeling about it.

"You could be the bigger person." Elena suggested to Caroline.

"She makes it impossible by being so stubborn and angry." Caroline said irritably. Elena thought she understood that one too- Bonnie was extremely obstinate, especially as of late. Just as Bonnie might be better equipped to sympathise with Caroline if she knew the truth about Damon, Caroline might be more willing to let things slide with Bonnie if she really believed that she was a witch. Bonnie had told Elena that the necklace was a talisman belonging to her ancestor, Emily Bennett, after all.

"I don't really know why you're so pissed at her though. You gave it to her like a gift and now you're taking it back."

"Look, I gave it to her to wear because I thought the thing was ugly. I never said she could keep it, which makes her a thief. It's a matter of principle," Caroline argued. Elena shrugged her shoulders and let them fall. She had already tackled Bonnie on this matter and neither girl was budging.

"Well, I tried. I'm officially out of it." She announced. Caroline shrugged back at her in a moody sort of way. Elena had a little difficulty refraining from rolling her eyes at this but decided a change of subject was in order. Luckily, Caroline chipped in:

"Good. Your turn. Where's Stefan?" She could hardly be less enthusiastic about this particular choice of topic.

"He's avoiding me." Elena couldn't deny to herself that this was true.

"Why?" Caroline looked shocked. Elena shrugged.

"Uh, it's complicated…" Thankfully, the bell rang then, giving Elena a chance to get away. She checked her phone again to see if Bonnie had replied to her message but she hadn't. After an hour of English followed by an hour of French, Elena was glad that the day was over. It had seemed to drag on forever, what with no sign of Bonnie and Stefan avoiding her as best he could. However, she was surprised to find that the latter was waiting for her beside Bonnie's car, miraculously still sat in the parking lot. She approached him, not sure if she was annoyed or relieved.

"You're talking to me again, then." Elena noted stiffly. Stefan grimaced.

"Sorry, I just didn't think school was the best place to talk about… well, you know." Elena looked at him stonily, "And it wasn't something that I wanted to be overheard on the phone about either." Elena conceded slightly and folded her arms, waiting.

"That means Damon's alive then." She concluded. "That could have fit in a text message."

"Yeah. I didn't kill my brother. As much as he deserved it," Stefan glanced up from the ground at her, "He has you to thank for that." Elena's mouth went into a thin line at this. She hadn't wanted Stefan to kill Damon, but she felt she knew what was coming next:

"You're doing a disappearing act now, aren't you?" She guessed. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she could see the truth in his face.

"I'm just gonna back off a bit. It's the right thing to do. Doing school with all of the stuff going on with Damon and everything… I'm just putting people in danger. I'm putting _you_ in danger." Elena raised her eyebrows, glaring at him.

"You think you're the reason Damon is around me like a bad smell?" She saw the ripple of hurt across his handsome face, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. Look, Stefan, I get what you're doing, I really do. But if there's one thing Lexi made me realise, it's how much your friendship means to me." Stefan considered this for a minute.

"Friendship," He repeated the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. Elena would have dearly liked to have hit him. Instead, she gave a firm nod at the word. "Well, I'll see you around. Maybe." Stefan turned and left at speed, faster than she could blink. Elena stamped her foot to let out some of the frustration. Sometimes she could understand why Damon found Stefan's constant nobility annoying.

Speaking of Damon, she thought she saw him walking away from a frightened-looking Bonnie. Her friend hurried over to Elena, her face stricken. She jumped into the driver's seat and Elena got into the passenger side. Only when they had pulled out of the school parking lot and hit the road did Bonnie say anything about what'd just happened.  
"He's still determined to get the crystal." Bonnie shuddered, "He really scared me, Elena. He's bad news."

"You just need to stay away from him." At the moment, Elena wasn't sure where Damon's head was at. She wasn't afraid of him, even though he'd like her to be, but she didn't like the fact he was threatening her best friend.

"He just keeps showing up!" Bonnie swallowed.

"I don't want you to be alone. Come over to mine and stay tonight, we can make a whole night of it." Bonnie nodded, and they drove for a few seconds more before out of nowhere, she pulled a wild manoeuvre and swung the car onto a different road. Elena clutched the seat, shocked. Bonnie braked hard.

"Woah! What are you doing?" She asked Bonnie. Her friend ripped the necklace off her neck and unbuckled her seatbelt, a ferocious expression on her face.

"Doing what I should have done from the start." And she got out of the car and hurled the necklace with all her might into a field. When done, she got back into the car with a satisfied grin on her face. "All my problems were because of that thing. It's giving me nightmares and Damon is terrorising me and then there's the whole thing with Emily…" Elena frowned.

"What?" Bonnie looked more relaxed as she drove on, pulling them smoothly back around and onto the road that would take them to Elena's. She went on to explain the strange dreams she'd been having, the fact that Emily had appeared to her in her class that morning, and that twice she had woken up at the ruins of Fell's church. Elena's stomach twisted; she knew from Stefan that that was where at least 27 vampires had died, including Katherine. She glanced behind them then, towards the field Bonnie had thrown the necklace into. All these small details were starting to come together and she didn't like what they were adding up to.

As soon as she got home, with Bonnie promising to return soon with overnight things, Elena sent a message to Stefan. She felt sick. Jenna and Jeremy were out eating dinner together, so at least she wouldn't have to worry about them being here if Damon showed up- not until later, anyway.

It wasn't long before Stefan showed up. Elena had been mad at him earlier, but that had evaporated in her urgency:  
"Thanks for coming. I wouldn't have asked but it's important." Stefan nodded, waiting, as Elena stepped out onto the porch, "He threatened her, Stefan. Damon threatened Bonnie."

"What does Damon want with Bonnie?" This appeared to be news to Stefan, Elena noticed.

"She has this necklace. Damon gave it to Caroline, who gave it to Bonnie, but now he wants it back." Elena wrung her hands nervously, glancing around every few seconds for any sign than somebody was listening who shouldn't be.

"All of that over a necklace?" Stefan frowned.

"It belonged to Bonnie's relative who lived here during the Civil War…" Something dawned on Elena for the first time, "When you and Damon lived here." Stefan, seeming to comprehend now what was going on, nodded broodingly.

"Yeah, her name was Emily. She was Katherine's handmaiden, and a witch." He pushed his hands into his pockets, obviously uncomfortable. "She was a very powerful witch. She's the one that made our daylight rings," He held his up so that the stone in it caught the light, "I realised Emily must be Bonnie's ancestor that first time I had dinner here."

Elena watched him, almost able to hear the cogs of his brain ticking over. She wished she could shake an answer from him but instead she waited until finally he spoke again:  
"This necklace. Tell me, does it have an iron setting and a big yellow crystal?" Elena nodded, wide-eyed. "It belonged to Katherine. Emily gave it to her…"

"What does that mean?" Elena asked in a hushed voice. She did not like that Damon had been in possession of an item relating to Katherine for over a century. She supposed she ought not to have been surprised that a guy who had stayed in love with the woman this whole time would keep a memento, but it bothered Elena all the same.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Where is the crystal now?" Stefan asked, jaw set.

"Bonnie threw it away. She said it brought her more trouble than it was worth." Stefan nodded. "Will Damon even tell you what he wants with that necklace?"

"I'll get it out of him, don't worry."

Bonnie and Caroline both arrived back at Elena's around the same time. There was an awful atmosphere between them both that refused to dissipate as they went about serving dinner. Bonnie had always been closer to Caroline than Elena was and it was strange to see the two of them in stony silence. Elena thought about the snatches of conversation she'd managed with Caroline about vampires. Sometimes, Caroline seemed fully clued in and terrified of Damon and other times she seemed ignorant of it all- the compulsion must have messed with her head. That aside, Elena kept shooting the blonde looks until Caroline finally cracked:

"Fine! I'm sorry, okay? You can keep that ugly-ass necklace. It's yours." Bonnie pulled a face.

"You're going to hate me for this, but I kind of threw it away." She admitted. Caroline looked furious.

"What the hell, Bonnie?"

"It was giving me nightmares, I had to get rid of it." Bonnie said weakly.

"You could have just given it back to me, then, like I asked a zillion times!" Elena shook her head this, fixing Caroline with an earnest look.

"If she gave it back to you, you'd just give it back to Damon." She pointed out on Bonnie's behalf. If there was one thing that she and Bonnie were agreed on it was that Damon didn't deserve that crystal. People who went around killing people just to clear their own name didn't deserve what they wanted.

"Ugh, can we just forget about Damon please?" Caroline sighed, changing the subject, "Are we doing manicures? Who has their kit?" Elena hadn't bothered with her nails since the accident. It wasn't something she'd given any thought, but now she looked down and saw how she'd bitten them down and they were in serious need of filing.

"My kit's in my bag." Bonnie told Caroline, visibly relieved that the necklace conversation had finally come to an end. Elena herself felt she would go nuts if she had to hear about that crystal one more time.

"So, Elena, I saw you were talking to Stefan earlier." Bonnie said, "What was that about?"

"Oh just about how he's going to be keeping his distance now so he doesn't put me in danger," Elena's voice was uncharacteristically mocking of Stefan. Bonnie and Caroline both looked surprised at the venom she injected her words with, "I haven't come to any harm so far. Damon won't hurt me and there's nobody else to worry about." Neither of the other two said anything and Elena realised that they'd most likely discussed Elena's strange relationship with Damon amongst themselves sometime before they fell out over the necklace. She knew neither of them approved. She watched as Caroline rifled through Bonnie's things, and then she looked up, suddenly angry.

"Bonnie, why are you such a little liar?" She held up the crystal. The crystal Elena had witnessed Bonnie tossing into a field hours before.

"I'm not lying to you Caroline, I swear." Bonnie said, sounding fearful. Elena didn't blame her.

"Yeah, I watched her toss it away." She exchanged a look with Bonnie as she said it. How had this happened? A shiver went down Elena's spine.

"Then explain this." Caroline didn't look ready to drop this. Bonnie sighed, and launched into the story of Emily and her haunting of Bonnie ever since she'd come into possession of the necklace. Caroline wasn't very prepared to listen and Elena excused herself for a few minutes, heading upstairs to hunt for the extra pillows and blankets they'd need later on that night. Whilst up there, she checked her phone for any news from Stefan but so far there was none. She looked through her contacts and stopped on one name. Damon.

She was angry with him and wanted nothing to do with him after what'd happened with Lexi. To her, that killing had been mindless. She ought not to have been surprised, given that he'd killed for less reason in the past. But that was the first time she'd ever had to watch it. So, with all of that, why was she so tempted to call him? She put her phone away and went back downstairs. She was glad to see that Caroline and Bonnie seemed to have settled their differences, and both smiled as she entered.

"I'm not a believer, but I'm going to jump on board to support Bonnie," Caroline informed Elena, who smiled, "I think there's far too much drama in this room. I have an idea- let's have a séance." Back in the old days, Elena loved this kind of thing. It was fun back then to spook yourself out and run around in the dark like kids. But since she had discovered that vampires and witches were real, she decided it was probably not a great idea to mess with anything supernatural- especially not when somebody genuinely supernatural was around. She looked at Bonnie, who looked equally uncomfortable with this idea.

Somehow, though, it ended up happening. Bonnie called on Emily and at first, nothing happened. Elena peeked at her two friends, nervous. Caroline insisted on a second calling, and Bonnie reluctantly agreed:  
"Emily, I know you have a message and I'm here to listen." That was when Elena's earlier notion that it was best not to meddle in the supernatural was confirmed- the candles they'd lit immediately flared. The three of them looked at each other, frightened.

"It was just the air conditioning," Bonnie said after a moment, though she didn't sound as if she had any conviction.

"Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign." Caroline spoke, after a moment. Elena realised that she still didn't believe, because she had recovered from the surprise quickly. Evidently, this was one of the times that Damon had taken away her knowledge of vampires. But, this time, nothing happened.

"See, it's not working." Bonnie said, sounding relieved. That was when the windows crashed open. All three of them screamed. "I can't. I'm done." Bonnie ripped the necklace from around her neck and threw it on the floor. "Get the light!" Elena got to her feet and hurried to switch the light on. She turned around to say something but her words died in her throat. Bonnie looked stricken. "Guys, the necklace- it's gone."

 **A/N: I'm sorry that more of this chapter isn't original. But, sometimes this is going to happen. I hope you like my alternative take on the argument with Stefan at any rate. Don't worry, the next chapter is going to be way more interesting! That being said I'd still appreciate it if you left me a review!**


	17. Don't Let Go

**Chapter Seventeen: Don't Let Go**

"Stefan?" Elena practically screamed his name down the phone. Damon could hear every word, "Stefan, it's all gone wrong."

"What?" Stefan glanced his way. Obviously he was not keen on Damon overhearing this. Damon waited, listening. He'd just revealed his plan to free Katherine from that tomb to a very disapproving Stefan and he wasn't exactly happy that his gloating was being interrupted by Elena.

"Bonnie, she- I think she isn't herself- she just went out and she said 'I won't let him have it'. Now I don't know where she's going but…" Elena sounded hysterical, almost on the verge of tears. Damon stared fixedly at the phone in Stefan's hand. "She said she's going back to where it all began."

"When you say she isn't herself," Stefan said leadingly.

"I think she's been possessed by Emily's spirit." That was all Damon needed to hear. Before Stefan could do more than take a step towards him, Damon was gone. He had had a notion that that crystal falling into Bonnie's hands was not a good idea. He should have known that somehow Emily would come through from the other side to try and stop him from doing what he had to do. He ought to have known better than to trust a witch. The only reason he hadn't simply killed Bonnie to get that damned necklace was because he had sworn to protect Emily's descendants. Well, if she thought she was going to stop him now, the deal was off on both ends, Damon would make sure she knew that.

He remembered Fell's church of the 1860s. It had been a small but beautiful little church where all the town went to worship every Sunday. The tombs beneath it were accommodated in the tunnelling which ran under most of the woods surrounding Mystic Falls. Damon had been back over the years and every time he returned it was in a further state of ruin than before. Now, not much remained of it than a few rocks, but the foundations could easily be seen, as could the crumbling steps which led down to the crypt.

Bonnie- or Emily, he supposed, was in the middle of setting up a spell when he arrived. It was obvious it wasn't Bonnie by the confidence and pride that Emily had exuded when alive- she held Bonnie's bodily very differently. She didn't look surprised to see Damon.  
"You look different." He smirked.

"I won't let you do it."

"We had a deal." He glared at her but she did not flinch. She never had.

"Things are different now." She met his gaze steadily, "I have to protect my family. I cannot allow you to open this tomb."

" _I'm_ the one who has been protecting your family for all of these years." He growled angrily. He could see the crystal around Emily's neck. If only he could get close enough to grab it.

"I'm sorry, Damon." She sounded sincere, but not enough that she planned to budge.

"Not as sorry as you will be." He'd hardly taken a step towards her before he was flying through the air. His back hit a tree, something he did not appreciate. His promise to Stefan to stay off human blood for a week rang in his ears again- he was not used to actually feeling pain. Things weren't improved when a branch stabbed itself through his body, pinning him to the tree. Emily barely spared him a glance when he grunted in pain. This was _not_ going to plan. He watched as Emily set up her pentagram, apparently oblivious to his complaints and insults. He looked toward the tomb where he knew Katherine was. When he had her back, they would wreak hell on Emily's descendants for this, he vowed.

It wasn't very long before Stefan showed up with Elena in tow.  
"Damon," She said, then stopped short when she caught sight of his expression. Stefan pulled the branch out of his stomach and Damon grunted,

"This is why we feed on _people_." It would be a couple of minutes before he was fully healed at this rate. Stefan was looking towards Emily, who had spoken his name:  
"These people do not deserve this. They should never have to know such evil." Internally cursing, Damon took a few shambling steps towards Emily, but was prevented coming any closer by her pentagram.

"I will make you regret this," He spat in the witches' direction. He made Elena flinch.

I will not let you inflict them on the world." Emily announced.

"Who are 'them'?" Elena asked nervously.

"Damon, what part of the story did you leave out?" Damon was extremely vexed by this turn of events. He had hoped to keep the fact that the 27 vampires were actually still alive a secret from his brother until he had Katherine back. He told himself he didn't care what happened after that- he didn't care if they drained every person in Mystic Falls of blood if he had Katherine by his side. He looked at Elena though, trying to see her as Katherine for the minute, to picture what it would be like to have the real thing so close again. But all he could see was the fear in Elena's face as she looked upon the occupied body of her best friend. Damon felt an unidentified pang.

"Emily, what did you do?" Stefan was asking the witch.

"To save her I had to save them all." Damon cursed loudly.

"Who cares? It's only Katherine I want back." Elena's body language shifted then. He saw her out of the corner of his eye- she unfolded her arms and her hands balled into fists. She was angry.

"You saved everybody in the church?" Stefan clarified.

"With one comes all." Emily said solemnly. "That is how nature finds its balance- they are all of the same evil."

"You're telling me that those 27 vampires down there are still alive?" Elena didn't shout. Her voice was quiet, very quiet. Dangerously quiet. She turned slowly so that she was full on looking at Damon. For some reason he couldn't look back at her. He felt heat prickle at the back of his neck, a feeling that only Elena could make him feel when he did something terrible and selfish: shame.

"You can't do this, Damon." Stefan sounded horrified. Damon didn't remember all of the people down there- not many had been his friends, certainly. But he didn't care about them either; he could only imagine how painful it must be to desiccate for a century and a half. "What is this to you- revenge? You can't bring 27 vampires back. Not after so long. They will hunt us down- both of us- and they won't stop until we're dead."

"Well I don't plan to stick around for them to do that." Damon shrugged, but he was suddenly distracted by Elena flying at him. She crashed into him and was kicking and punching every inch of him that she could reach. It didn't hurt him at all but it still wasn't pleasant. "Woah, what-?"

"You ASSHOLE, Damon Salvatore!" She screamed. "How- can- you- do- this?" Damon grabbed her flailing arms and pinned them to her side, leaning down to glare into her eyes.

"Elena. STOP." The volume of his voice did the same job compulsion might have done- it shut her up. But now that he was close, he could see the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. He didn't know what he wanted more- whether he wanted to throw her as hard and as fast away from himself as he could, or to hold her and comfort her. He waited until he got a handle on his feelings and breathed.

"What are you doing this for, Damon? Just because you love Katherine? Or because you really hate everyone here- you really hate me?" He was so surprised at this that he let go of her. Elena turned and ran, but not before he heard a sob being torn from her throat. He took a step after her but then he remembered where he was. Everything was illuminated now by the firey pentagram on the ground around Emily. He looked around in time to see her throw the crystal in the air, and it exploded into a million pieces. The fire died and he watched Bonnie Bennett return to her body.

"FINE!" He bellowed to the surrounding trees, "Fine, Emily! The deal's off!" And he flashed over to Bonnie, sinking his teeth into her neck. She cried out in pain as he drank from her. He didn't even enjoy the blood though- it was only to make a point. He dropped her body to the ground, his eyes combing the trees.

"Damon." Stefan was in his face, looking almost as furious as Damon felt. But Damon simply shoved Stefan aside and disappeared; he needed to see Elena. He needed to explain, somehow.

It took a few minutes of tracking, but he found Elena as she emerged out onto the road. Ironically, it was the same stretch of road he had first met her on, just a little further back. He stopped in front of her so she couldn't keep running. He reached out to touch her but she flinched away. She didn't look frightened, it was something else… he read her face. She was… disgusted.

"Elena, let me explain. Please." He wasn't even sure what was trying to tell her. He didn't know why he'd followed her. He didn't owe any kind of explanation to Elena Gilbert. But he didn't want her to think he hated her, no matter what else she thought. She was staring at his mouth and he was confused for a moment, but then he realised that Bonnie's blood was still smeared across his lips. He wiped it away on his sleeve but it was too late- it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he'd done after she left. But Elena didn't say anything, she just looked at him, waiting. Damon took a breath.

"Katherine compelled Stefan to fall for her, mostly. But me… it was real for me, the whole time. I knew everything, but I loved her anyway." Still, Elena just waited. "Katherine Pierce was- is- a terrible person, Elena, just like me. That's all I am, just a terrible person. And you try to see the good in me- you're the only one who has in a long, long time. But there isn't anything good there. There's nothing."

"Then why are you out here telling me this?" He hadn't expected that question and it stumped him. He couldn't believe that through her upset, Elena was still seeing the human in him. He had to stop that- he had already hurt her and he couldn't do that again.

"Elena, I do not hate you. Far from it."

"Why did you need to open that tomb? It's been 145 years, Damon. Some people might say it's time to move on." Her eyes were sad as she looked at him, but he thought that she didn't seem as sad in herself- she was sad for him. He had never thought of himself as a pity case before, but he supposed he was.

"I can't move on, Elena." He shook his head.

"Why now?" He knew what she meant by that question, too.

"The comet. It's what gave Emily the power to seal the vampires away last time- and the only thing that will give her the same power to open the tomb." Understanding dawned across Elena's face then- the final detail had fallen into place. For him, that moment might have been one of satisfaction but she just looked even more troubled than before.

"Damon, you were putting every single person I know and love in danger for one girl. I can't ever think that's okay." He felt his heart fall when Elena said that- maybe that's what he'd been hoping for, that she would somehow come around to his cause and agree that what he was doing was acceptable somehow. But he should have known that was never going to happen. Elena's friends and family meant more to her than anything else. He thought about how much she'd already lost.

"I'm sorry, Elena. Look, I'll leave town now. I can't see the point in staying here now I can't do what I came here to do…" He gave up, walking away. He had no reason to be here now.

"Damon," She called his name. He forced himself to keep walking away, but then he heard her footsteps. She was running after him, and then she had him by the arm. He turned around to face her and she seemed to be searching for something in his face. "Don't leave."

"What?" He looked down at her as though she was crazy. Even after this, Elena Gilbert wanted him around.

"I can't… I can't watch you leave, Damon. I know what you said about yourself is true… and god knows everybody keeps telling me you're bad news but… I just don't think I can watch you go." Elena's hand had grazed down his arm and he found that he was holding it in his own. Her hands were slender and small, and fit in his like a glove. He didn't understand this though.

"Elena, I was about to unleash 27 starving vampires on your town. I just attacked your best friend. I killed Lexi, and Tanner, and countless others. Are you listening to yourself?" But he didn't let go of her hand. "Why would you want me here, Elena? I'm no good."

"Damon… I'm angry with you. I am. I'm so angry I could kill you but… if I did kill you. Or if you were gone… I wouldn't know how to carry on," Elena swallowed, meeting his eyes, "That might make me stupid, or like I have a death wish, but you're all that's gotten me through it all. After the accident, I thought I was dead inside. But you… you make me feel alive. I need to feel alive, Damon."

Without thinking, Damon took a step closer to Elena. He could hear her heart. It was beating hard, fast and loud. Her breath hitched as he stepped closer to her. His grip tightened on her hand and with his other, he tucked her long dark hair behind her ear.  
"Leave town with me," He breathed, "You and me, Elena. We can go anywhere, do anything we want. I'd stay by your side." He didn't know where these words were coming from, but the feelings welling up inside him told him they were true. "Elena, we could explore Europe, South America…"

"I can't." Her mouth was an obstinate line, "I'd be losing everyone else just the same as if you'd opened that tomb."

"You really want it all." He said, sadly.

"I don't want to lose any one of you. Damon, please. Stay here, in town." Her brown eyes were pleading.

"Elena, I can't." His final word was firm and final. Elena did not try to argue anymore. She looked down at her feet, and he remembered her the first time he'd ever seen her, walking on this very road. It'd been just as dark then, but warmer. She had been a very different girl then. But he had seen little bits of that girl, here and there. The old Elena was still in there and he knew he could bring it out- he could make her enjoy life again. That was what she had told him, too, but he couldn't stay here with no hope of Katherine coming back. Mystic Falls would be nothing but bad memories for him.

"Fine." Elena's voice was stronger when she spoke than before, and she looked up at him, eyes blazing, "But if this is the last time that I get to see you…" And she reached up and kissed him. Taken by surprise, Damon took a moment to react. Elena's arm was encircling his neck while her other hand stayed in his. He let go and pulled her to him by her waist, leaning into the kiss. Her hand ran through his hair and he thought he would like to feel that every moment of everyday. Her lips were soft beneath his, but demanding. Elena Gilbert was equally gentle and passionate and Damon Salvatore did not want to let go.

 **A/N: A whole Damon chapter! So we finally got some real Delena action! Eeek, I'm so happy to have finally written this part. Please please tell me what you think!**


	18. Guy Trouble

**Chapter Eighteen: Guy Trouble**

It was very late when Elena made it to Sheila, Bonnie's Grams', house. Her head was blurry with exhaustion and confusion and grief all at once. Stefan had called her to say that he gave Bonnie some of his blood and had taken her to her Grams, but that Bonnie had been afraid of him and protested all the way. Elena should have been there to calm her best friend down and to explain everything, but she had been too angry and distraught with Damon to do so. She pushed Damon out of her mind then- she had to do this first, before she went anywhere near that subject.

Sheila let her in.  
"Witches gettin' caught up in vampire problems," She sighed to Elena with a shake of her head, "How long have you known, honey?"

"A while," Elena admitted, "I figured the less Bonnie knew the safer she would be." Sheila nodded and patted her on the arm.

"You did the right thing, but I think it's time to tell her now." Elena nodded in return, and Sheila pointed her to the living room where Bonnie was. She was sat up on the sofa, leaning against the cushions and wrapped in a blanket. There was no sign of any wound Damon had left, just as Stefan had told her. Elena felt sickened with herself, that she had kissed the man who'd just attacked her friend, but she also, strangely, felt no remorse.

"Elena," Bonnie still looked scared, "What the hell happened tonight?" Elena sat down beside her, looking grave.

"I'm so sorry, Bonnie. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but I promised to keep the secret and I didn't want you mixed up in any of it… but now it's too late." Bonnie nodded, waiting for the real explanation. Elena swallowed, took a deep breath, then launched into it:  
"Stefan and Damon are both vampires. I never thought they existed either until… well, Damon told me the truth because I knew something was up. Stefan didn't want to be found out. He, uh, he doesn't drink human blood and he's trying to live a normal human life. Damon… well, he couldn't be more different."

"Those people that died… were because of Damon?" Bonnie said, and Elena nodded sadly.

"The truth is, Stefan and Damon both lived here back in the 1800s. In 1864, they both fell in love with a vampire called Katherine, who turned them. She… well, we thought she was dead. She along with 27 other vampires were supposedly trapped inside Fell's church and burned. That was meant to end all of the trouble. Damon and Stefan left Mystic Falls. Stefan… he moved on from Katherine but Damon never did. It turns out that the vampires are just trapped in the tomb beneath the old church. Emily, your ancestor, was the witch that locked them in there. They've been starving for 145 years but Damon wants to open the tomb to get Katherine out. He asked Emily to save her, but… she had to save them all to do that." It all sounded even more bizarre when she said it like that. It sounded like none of it could be real, and yet it was. And Elena had no idea what to make of that.

"The locket opened the tomb." That was the final conclusion. Elena nodded. "And Emily destroyed it?"

"Yes." Bonnie breathed out a sigh of relief and leant back against the cushions.

"Good. That tomb can't be opened. 28 hungry vampires…" Bonnie shivered, obviously remembering the way Damon's face must have changed when he attacked her. Indeed, her hand went to her neck. "We have to stay away from him," Bonnie stated suddenly, "Damon. We need to stay out of his way, all of us."

"He's leaving town," Elena said delicately. Something in her voice made Bonnie look at her, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Elena, how can you still like him after everything he's done? Everything he was planning to do?" Elena wished she knew the answer to that question herself, but she didn't. The thought crossed her mind that once, Damon was probably just like her. He was innocent and whole, and then he fell in love with Katherine and she led him astray. All the things she had done back then hadn't changed his feelings. That scared Elena; she didn't want to be like Damon.

"Your Grams will take care of you, Bonnie. You'll be fine. Vampires can't get inside unless they're invited, so Damon won't be able to get to you," He had given up hope though so she doubted that he would try, " Elena stood up and her had span from exhaustion, "I'll get you some vervain from Stefan to protect you from compulsion. Please don't be afraid of him." Her voice was monotonous and robotic and despite what had happened to her that night, Bonnie stopped her.

"Elena, are you alright?" She asked softly. Elena sighed and shook her head.

"No."

* * *

"So where will you go?" Stefan questioned him casually. Damon shrugged. Neither of them had really slept the previous night. Damon's mind had been too full for rest- his thoughts rapidly switched between Emily, Katherine and Elena. Elena, kissing him. Elena begging him not to leave. He shook his head as if to try and clear it, like thoughts of Elena were just an annoying fly buzzing around his head.

"I don't know. London, maybe, to see some friends…" Damon replied vaguely.

"You don't have any friends." Stefan reminded him bluntly.

"Oh, that's true," Damon agreed awkwardly, "I don't know. We could try the brother thing again, hit all the big cities and live it up a little?" He didn't particularly crave his younger brother's company but since his humanity switch had flipped back on he had realised that he was alone. Stefan was better than nothing.

"We're not going anywhere together. We don't work." Stefan shook his head, "I haven't decided where to go yet either. But we've gotta get out of here, either way. Now Bonnie knows…" Damon put his glass down on the coffee table a little harder than he intended and Stefan raised an eyebrow at him. Before either could say something though, Damon's phone rang. He looked at the screen, hoping against hope that it'd be Elena. But the name that flashed up to him was Liz.

"Sheriff Forbes, what can I do for you?" He did a good job at sounding casual.

"There's been another attack." She told him, straight to the point. Stefan glanced around at Damon when he heard, frowning.

"What?" Damon hissed. He hadn't fed straight from the vein since the night he had killed Lexi, and he knew Stefan was still sticking to his own diet of animal blood. "I thought we got them that night."

"So did I, but we always knew there was a possibility that there was more than one of them." Liz replied frankly.

"I'll see what I can find out," Damon said, and the line went dead. Damon looked at Stefan. "Looks like we won't be off in such a hurry." He had no idea where he was actually going to start looking for this new vampire but as it was day time, he knew that they weren't likely to pass them in the street.

"I'll tell Elena about this, just so she can be careful." Stefan told him decisively, but Damon stopped him. One thing was for sure and that was that he had to see Elena. He'd taken off in a hurry the previous night, once they'd broken apart. He hadn't been able to stand to say goodbye to her and as much as it wasn't really a good thing, he was secretly glad that he would be able to tell her that he wasn't leaving quite yet.

"Stefan, you need to get some vervain to your friends and keep a sharp eye. I'll scout the town and… I'll tell Elena." Stefan gave him a strange look.

"I'm not sure she'll want to see you." His younger brother was blunt, though he had no idea about Damon and Elena's kiss. Damon had a feeling that he was not the only participant that would prefer to keep it that way.

"Neither am I," He admitted instead, "But I owe her an apology for what happened to Bonnie." Stefan nodded, conceding. He was usually more staunch about seeing Elena though, and Damon wondered whether he didn't suspect that something had gone on the previous night.

* * *

Elena woke up late and she felt awful. Once home the previous night, she'd climbed into bed fully clothed and cried herself to sleep. That explained the throbbing headache-that was the dehydration. Inside, she felt hollow as she got out of bed. Her face was puffy from the tears and she looked terrible in general, last night's makeup still smeared across her cheeks. She hardly had a chance to do anything when she heard a small noise behind her and turned. Damon was climbing in through her window.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Elena," He held up his hands and stayed on the spot, "I know this is odd and a bad time but you need to listen to me."

"I'm done listening to you, Damon." He certainly didn't listen to her; he was leaving. She knew Stefan would probably leave too, given everything that'd happened. Everything she had finally managed to gain back, some semblance of a life even if it was a strange one surrounded by the supernatural, she was about to lose it all. All thanks to Damon. He could do her the courtesy of staying to stick out the misery with her.

"Elena, there's been another attack." She stared at him, "It wasn't me and it wasn't Stefan. We have another vampire on the loose somewhere in Mystic Falls." Elena actually shut her eyes. Their problems were supposed to have ended last night when Emily shattered that crystal, but the old problems were only being replaced with new ones.

"Why couldn't Stefan tell me this?" She still hadn't opened her eyes. She couldn't look at him anymore.

"Elena…" Damon sounded different. With her eyes remaining firmly shut, Elena tried to place the emotion in his voice. She thought it sounded something like… hurt? But what did he have to be hurt about? _She_ hadn't killed anyone. _She_ hadn't tried to inflict vampires on his town. _She_ wasn't leaving him.

"Last night was supposed to be the last time I ever saw you, Damon. You said you were leaving, so why are you still here?"

"Elena, I can't leave with a vampire on the loose. They might…" He stopped himself. Slowly, Elena opened her eyes. Damon didn't finish his sentence but she thought he was going to say 'hurt you'. They might hurt her. That was true, but he shouldn't say things like that to her; he didn't have the right to be worried about her.

"What can I do?" She asked him, trying to bury her emotions as best she could and focus on the business side of things.

"Don't let anybody in the house. Don't go anywhere alone at night. And…" Damon sighed, "And just keep safe." He leapt back out of her window, leaving her standing there looking at the spot where he'd just stood.  
After a shower and after dragging a brush through the matted mess of her hair, Elena poked her head into Jeremy's bedroom. He was drawing again, which made her smile even through the midst of her low mood. He'd always been artistic, much unlike herself. She looked over his shoulder to try and see what he was drawing. She thought she saw something with fur and teeth under a full moon; fantasy creatures had always been Jer's speciality.

"It looked really good, whatever it was." Elena complimented her younger brother.

"Thanks," He said, embarrassed, "Hey, you know Jenna ended up hanging out all night with Mr Saltzman at the Grill? Can you imagine if she started dating one of our teachers?" He mimed gagging.

"Yeah, gross. Well, no, I suppose he's attractive," Elena considered, but then cringed and shook her head, "Nope, you're right, it's gross."

"Elena, are you alright?" Jeremy asked her suddenly, surprising her.

"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" He hesitated, apparently struggling to find the right way to say something.

"I heard you crying," He admitted finally, "And before that you, Caroline and Bonnie seemed really freaked out about something." Elena had almost forgotten the séance, the bathroom door which had slammed and locked with Bonnie inside, then how she'd emerged from the bathroom with a different person's spirit in her body. Jeremy's entrance had just made them jump.

"Oh," Elena said, deciding not to explain all of that, "I was just… you know, thinking about stuff." His expression cleared then and he nodded solemnly.

"Right. Yeah, I know." He thought she'd been thinking about the accident or their parents and she let him think that. She didn't want Jeremy ever tied up with all of this vampire stuff ever again after what had happened with Vicki. Let him draw things and think none of it was true- she wasn't sure if werewolves were real, if she was quite honest, but she didn't feel like thinking it through. Witches and vampires were quite enough for anybody.

Elena headed downstairs. Jenna was hanging out in the kitchen and she seemed angry about something.  
"You will never guess who knocked that door last night."

"Who?" Elena asked.

"Logan Fell," Jenna snorted, "Seemed to think that I'd just take him back with no questions asked."

"I hope you slammed the door in his face." Elena said savagely. Her anger at Damon was not difficult to extend towards all men as a whole.

"Medium slam." Jenna said sheepishly.

"That's it, Jenna. You're not even allowed to watch the news." Elena announced. Jenna laughed.

"No more Logan 'Scum' Fell," Jenna agreed, and then squinted at Elena. "Are you okay?" Elena groaned inwardly. Was everybody going to ask her that today? She knew she hardly looked her best but there was really no need for everybody to keep pointing it out. In her mind, she told herself that if she kept pretending things were fine then eventually they would be. It was the same strategy she'd used after the accident and for a while, things almost had been. She'd moved on a little, anyway. And she would do it again, she told herself, just as long as people let her.

"I'm fine, Jenna." Elena replied with an air of finality, which Jenna ignored.

"Guy trouble, I take it." Jenna was harder to fool than Jeremy, which left Elena a little stumped: "Look, I know you've been feeling better about the accident and everything lately, so that's all it could be. You know you can talk to me about this stuff, don't you?" The truth was, it'd never even crossed her mind to talk to Jenna about any of her problems. It was too difficult what with all the things Jenna was not allowed to know mixed in. But, on the other hand, if she didn't say something then Jenna would only keep pestering her.

"I suppose it's sort of like… the same old story. Girl falls for guy, guy is ass, girl falls flat on face," Elena offered weakly. Jenna smiled knowingly.

"We've all been there. Hell, that's my default setting with relationships."

"Yeah, well." Elena shrugged, unsure of what else to say.

"I'm going to hazard a guess at you being the girl and Damon Salvatore being the guy." Jenna said. Elena's mouth dropped open in disbelief. How had she known? Jenna answered her question without it needing to be asked: "I was wondering why you weren't falling for Stefan, who is hot and totally crazy about you. Why wouldn't a girl fall for that? Well, she won't if there is someone hotter and more unattainable around. And who else is there but Damon? I mean, unless I'm totally wrong and you're in love with Tyler Lockwood." Elena realised that her mouth was still hanging open, so closed it.

"Well it's not like it matters. Damon's leaving." She tried not to let her voice shake when she said the words, but Jenna heard the wobble.

"I'm sorry, Elena," Her aunt said, coming round to hug her. Elena hugged her back; it felt a strangely long time since anybody had hugged her like this, to comfort her, and she was glad for it. It felt normal. It felt _human_. Jenna let go. "He seems like an arrogant dick, if it helps. You can do much better than him."

"Thanks." Elena said numbly, for some reason not believing either statements.

 **A/N: This was a hard chapter to write, for numerous reasons. Thanks so much for getting through it all. I'd also like to thank everybody who has reviewed so far. I'd love it if you'd all give me feedback this time too!**


	19. Logan Fell

**Chapter Nineteen: Logan Fell**

"Caroline, how good to see you again," Damon smirked as the blonde opened her front door to him. She took one look at his face and made to slam the door in it but he stopped her, holding the door open. She tried to fight him for a minute but she was no match for his strength and gave up, simply strolling into her house. "There's that southern hospitality." Damon stepped in after her and closed the door.

"What do you want? I told you to stay away from me." Her arms were crossed stubbornly.

"Caroline, all I'm here to do is to ask a favour of you." He had known that convincing Caroline to help him was going to be difficult. Elena probably would have been more willing to do the job but he didn't feel like he could exactly ask her for any favours at that point in time.

"I'm not interested in helping you, Damon. Now go away and leave me alone. Matt is supposed to be coming over to hang and I don't need you being your typical buzz-kill self."

"Ah so you've gone for the quarterback now. I can't say your rebound choice is up to scratch." Caroline glared at him and he sighed. "Look, we can do this the nice way where you just do the damn thing and then you can go and make out with the quarterback to your heart's content or we can do it the hard way where I _make_ you." She looked as if she would dearly love to tell him where to shove this plan, but he knew that Caroline believed him when he said he'd force her.

"If this is going to get rid of you, then fine. What do I do?" He smiled and produced the Gilbert pocket watch that he'd stolen from Logan Fell.

"This device points you towards vampires. There's a new vampire in Mystic Falls who isn't being very careful and we need to be rid of them." She took the watch, raising an eyebrow.

"And if said vampire kills me?"

"They won't. I'll be following you from a distance and I won't let anything happen to you. I'd do this myself but the needle just points to me."

"And I'm supposed to trust you to protect me." Damon could understand why she questioned this part of the plan- he hadn't exactly given her any reason to believe him in the past. However, he wasn't interesting in hurting Caroline Forbes anymore.

"Elena would kill me if I let you be killed." He told her earnestly, and surprise crossed Caroline's face. However, it worked because she nodded and closed her hand on the watch. Damon was glad it didn't take anymore- he just wanted to be done with this town.

"Okay, what do I do now?" Caroline asked him down the phone a few hours later. She had set off straight away in the spirit of them not having to spend any more time in each other's company but it had still taken several hours to comb the whole of Mystic Falls, especially when Damon or even Stefan got in range and she ended up tracking them by accident. She had also told him she was now waiting outside an abandoned warehouse and that the Gilbert device was going haywire. Damon was a few minutes down the road, having tried to stay out of range so as not to interfere with the device's signal, but he sped up now.

"Just hold on, I'll be there in a minute." He told her.

"Well, hurry up, I have things to do." Caroline snapped. He thought it would possibly have been better to just compel her after all; un-compelled Caroline despised Damon and so sniped a lot, which wore down his nerves even worse than when she was all over him. He caught up to where she was and got a little pleasure from making her jump as he spoke from directly behind her:

"You can give me that." Caroline rolled her eyes and handed him the compass.

"Right, is that all? Because this has blown, like, half my day."

"Yes, you can go," Damon focused on her, "Just forget I asked you to do this."

"See you!" Caroline said, flouncing off, suddenly cheerful. Damon put the device back in his pocket and turned to face the door of the warehouse. It was sunset now and if he didn't get in there, the vampire would soon be out to terrorise more townspeople. He wondered whether he was going to meet an adept with a message or a newbie with no discretion. It would not be long before he found out.

Damon opened the door and stepped carefully inside. The warehouse was dark and the air was musty and damp, a clear sign that it hadn't been used for quite some time. On an ordinary day he might have tried to remember what the warehouse had actually stored before but that was not his focus at that moment in time. Seeing nothing, he walked deeper into the warehouse, making sure to circle every few steps to check nothing was sneaking up on him, as was won't to happen when you confronted a raging vampire. The place smelled bad too, and he thought he recognised what the smell was- decomposing bodies. Damon entered the big central room of the warehouse soon after, but he hardly got more than three steps in when the gunfire started.

Pain ripped through him and he collapsed to his knees, yelling out, as the wooden bullets penetrated his body. Blinking through the agony, he was shocked to look up and see who was approaching him, holding the gun: Logan Fell.

"I have tonnes of these wooden bullets so don't try anything." Logan warned him.

"You don't wanna do this with me, trust me." Damon frowned at Logan, who simply pulled the trigger again and sent another wooden bullet ripping into his shoulder. Growling, he spat through clenched teeth: "I seem to remember killing you."

"So do I, yet here I am." He shot once more, this time into Damon's thigh. If Logan ever stopped shooting Damon was determined to kill him for this inconvenience if nothing else. "You deserve this. You made me like this!"

"Are you joking?" Damon grunted, "I killed you, I didn't turn you. I wouldn't waste my blood on _you_." Satisfied that he'd momentarily distracted his assailant, Damon managed to pull one of the wooden bullets out of his chest. Logan looked at it with interest.

"I know what you and your brother are. I've been watching you two and I knew you'd show up here. I have questions."

"You're not in a position to ask questions, pal." Damon pulled another bullet from his body, very displeased with this turn of events. "First, who turned you?"

"How should I know? I was about to stake your brother, next thing I know I wake up behind a used car dealership on Highway 4. Somebody had buried me." Logan crouched down beside him and fixed him with the sort of squinty look that made Damon long to snap his neck.

"Because you were supposed to be dead." He managed to work the bullet out of his leg then with another grumble of pain. He looked at Logan, who didn't look so sure of himself all of a sudden.

"You bit me. It had to have been you." Damon rolled his eyes. For a Founders Council member supposedly devoted to ridding the world of vampires, Logan Fell didn't actually seem to know a whole bunch about them. He was just another silly human who watched too many horror movies and didn't bother finding out all the facts.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I said I wouldn't waste my blood on you. You'd need a vampire's blood in your system when you died to become one. Some other vampire found you, gave you their blood." Damon gave the wooden bullet he was holding in his fingers an evil look before throwing it away. He got to his feet, keeping one eye on the gun that Logan still held.

"Who?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Damon was, embarrassingly, still too hurt to stand. He flopped back to the floor.

"It's not exactly like I had a welcome party waiting to explain to me how to be a vampire. I've had to figure this all out by myself. You know, going from a small town news reporter to constantly hungry parasite isn't a small leap. I can't even go home because my foot won't go through the door." Damon laughed weakly at that and Logan glared at him.

"What, you live alone? That sucks. You have to be invited in."

"Now I'm at the Ramada everyday watching TV and eating everything in sight, including housekeeping." Damon remembered his own early days as a vampire; it was harder killing people you've known your whole life because you can't control your cravings. Logan had it easy in his opinion.

"It could be worse," He pointed out. "And you're getting a good meal everyday, slaughtering every man, woman and child you can get your hands on by the looks of things." The Sheriff had informed him of several other unexplained disappearances and Damon thought, given how non-particular the choices of victim were they could almost definitely be chalked up to Logan Fell.

"I can't stop killing people. All I think about is blood and killing people." He paused, looking a little mad, "I'm murdering people and I like it. I'm… conflicted."

"Join the club." Damon had managed to yank the rest of the bullets out now, but it'd still take him a minute or so to heal fully. He hadn't had more than a blood bag that day. "So where are you keeping the rest of the bodies?" Logan laughed manically.

"They're all back there." He pointed. Damon had been right to guess that was what the smell had been; there was a mountain of bodies piled up at the back of the warehouse. Damon had killed many people but he'd never been a collector and the sight actually sickened him a little. "Why am I so emotional?" Logan demanded suddenly, "All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend and how much I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."

"Everything you felt before is amplified. You probably love her." Damon thought curiously about Elena's aunt, Jenna. He'd never paid the woman a whole lot of attention before but maybe he ought to have- then he might have already had some kind of clue Logan wasn't dead. Although, they'd never told Elena he'd killed Logan so she couldn't have raised the alarm to them, thinking any message that Jenna got from Logan was totally normal.

"How do I walk in the sun? You manage it. The council will never suspect you because that's not in the journals." Damon didn't so much as twitch or even look at his daylight ring in order not to draw attention to it. It seemed very unlikely he'd be able to kill Logan right now and the last thing he needed was for the deranged lunatic to take his ring.

* * *

"Have you heard from Damon?" Elena was pacing the Salvatore's living room, distressed.

"Elena, wherever he is, Damon is fine." Stefan tried to reassure her, holding her by the arms to halt her and looking her in the eye, "He's tough and he can take a newbie vampire. Believe me, vampires get stronger with age."

"I thought it'd be over already." She kept glancing at the clock every few seconds. She hadn't wanted to care whether Damon was okay or not- Elena had spent the entire day thinking about him, even though thinking about the fact he was leaving made her want to start crying all over again. She couldn't explain the way she felt- she hated him but she also couldn't stand the idea of anything happening to him. She hadn't even gotten angry when Jeremy had been dropped off by Alaric Saltzman for fighting with Tyler again at the school art fair- that was something she'd have to worry about later on. Right now she was going insane thinking about the fact an unknown vampire was on the loose in Mystic Falls and that Damon might be at his mercy- especially now it was dark.

"It won't be much longer," Stefan promised, "Just sit tight and try to calm down."

"Calm down?" Elena looked at him like he was crazy. Stefan's hands moved down her arms to take her hands instead.

"Elena, please." She forced herself to concentrate on slowing her heart rate. Stefan always seemed to be in complete control and if he could do it, so could she. She had realised that despite their differences, Stefan and Damon did care for each other. Stefan didn't want Damon to die, even if he told himself otherwise. Elena nodded and dropped his hands, feeling a little uncomfortable. She thought that Stefan probably wasn't having much fun seeing her panic over his brother. So, she helped herself to some of the booze they kept in the house. She downed her glass in one, hoping it'd steady her nerves. Once done, Stefan spoke:

"I'm going to take you home again now. It's safer there- anybody can enter this house because it doesn't have a human occupant." She nodded and followed him out to where she'd parked her car. As they drove home, they didn't speak. Elena was relieved when they both stepped over her threshold though, because she knew then that they were safe.

Elena was surprised to walk into the kitchen to find Jenna sat talking to Logan though. She sighed at her aunt's lack of restraint when it came to this guy- he was a lousy boyfriend in the past and unreliable at best now, having skipped town with barely an explanation. She wasn't going to be rude though- she had been raised better than that. So she waved a greeting at him from the door:  
"Nice to see you again Logan." She couldn't help the slight sarcastic tone, much as she tried.

"Hello, Elena. And Stefan, I believe we met once before." Logan smiled, and Elena glanced towards Stefan having been unaware the two had met. However, Stefan had frozen on the spot and was staring at Logan in a way that made her feel very, very nervous. Something was wrong. She frowned at him questioningly and he gave a slight jerk of his chin, never taking his eyes off of Logan. Feeling sick, Elena realised that she would have to improvise.

"Erm, Logan, you won't mind if I borrow my aunt for a minute will you?" If this was what she thought it was, this was feeble at best, but Elena had to try. Jenna looked surprised.

"Logan and I were just in the middle of something-" She began.

"Please. You said I could talk to you anytime." Jenna glanced at Logan slightly apologetically, though she looked very confused at Elena's abruptness.

"Don't worry about it Jenna, I don't mind waiting." Logan smiled, "Stefan and I can hold a conversation for a minute.". Jenna shrugged and got up. Elena seized her aunt's hand and yanked her upstairs, her heart pounding.

"Elena, are you okay? Err, Elena, what-?" Elena answered none of her questions until they were safely upstairs in her room. She was terrified, but she couldn't let it show. Jenna couldn't know about any of this. Where was Damon?

"Where's Jeremy?" She asked her aunt quickly.

"In his room, I…" Jenna said, looking around them.

"Good. Look, I'm sorry, I just…" Elena had to think, and fast. What on earth could she talk to Jenna about that would seem urgent enough to have dragged her all the way up here and shut every door on the way? This was the sort of thing Caroline excelled at – filling tense silences with conversation. All Elena could do was think about the way Stefan's body language had changed, how she had suddenly felt certain that she was in danger. What was dangerous about Logan? Surely he wasn't the vampire? How could that be? And how could Stefan had known that?

"It's Damon!" Elena cried dramatically.

"Did you see him at Stefan's?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah!" Elena decided that the easiest path at this point was the one of least resistance, "He s-said it m-made no difference and he's going and…" Elena had no idea where these tears were coming from but they were noisy and snotty and kept Jenna occupied. Her aunt hugged her again, comforting her. Elena babbled on for who knew how long. Some of what she said was true and some took liberties with the facts. The important thing was, she eventually heard the door shut downstairs. Only then did she let up on her forced crying jag.

"I'm s-sorry!" She cried, trying to mask her relief, "I just couldn't t-take it anymore!"

"That's okay, I told you that I'm always here for you." Jenna told her caringly. Elena nodded and Stefan poked his head around her bedroom door:

"Logan had a work emergency to deal with," He told Jenna before drawing closer to her and looking into her eyes, "Stay away from him from now on. He can get into your house now but if he shows up, call me. Don't reply to his messages or emails. Don't answer his calls. And forget I told you this."

 **A/N: So again a bit of a twist on original events is on its way. Logan can get in the house! Scary! Special thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far, it means a lot! Any feedback you guys can give me is very welcome**


	20. Damon's Judgement

**Chapter Twenty: Damon's Judgement**

"Stefan? Where are you?" Damon had returned home to find Stefan wasn't there. He couldn't sit down and was pacing, furious. He had no idea where Logan had gone but he couldn't track him again without a human. This was going to be a huge problem. Luckily Stefan had picked up his call on the first ring.

"Jenna invited Logan into the house. I got rid of him but he could be anywhere." Damon's incessant pacing stopped abruptly.

"He can get into the house? Where's Elena?" He demanded immediately. "She didn't know he was supposed to be dead, Stefan. All she knew was that I got rid of him and saved you from being staked by him. She thought I just scared him out of town."

"Well, she's figured it out by now. She distracted Jenna but they're not safe." Stefan told him, "Go round and sit tight with the Gilbert's. I'm going after him before he kills anybody else."

"No." Damon said decisively, "You go back to the Gilbert's. After the hell he gave me tonight, this one is for me." He hung up the phone and prayed Stefan listened to him. He was not in the mood for arguments. Logan Fell was one dead vampire as soon as Damon got hold of him. Damon armed himself with one of the stakes that he stored for unwanted visitors and left the house again. He was sure Logan would go wherever there were people, and on a miserable night like this in Mystic Falls, people would be at the Grill.

When he arrived there, he realised that he had been correct: he could see Logan over by the bar with the Sheriff. He couldn't go any closer without Logan noticing him and blowing his secret as a vampire, so Damon ducked around the crowd and slipped into the back area of the Grill, towards the kitchen, keeping one ear out for what was going on outside. Neither Logan or the Sheriff could pull any fast ones in such a public place but even so, you could never be too careful with a bloodthirsty lunatic on the prowl. Damon backed slightly further out of sight and that was when he collided with somebody who was hiding. Spinning around, he seized the person by the neck. He had a momentary vision of a tall man with blonde hair before he was slammed to the floor; the guy was obviously strong. Damon jumped to his feet, ready, but the guy was holding a stake of his own.

"Woah, easy there…" And then recognition dawned. He'd seen this man before- or at least, he had seen photos, "Alaric Saltzman." Alaric faltered and Damon thought he saw recognition cross his face too.

"It's you." Alaric said. His surprise put his guard down for a moment and Damon snatched the stake out of his hand. "Think that's all I got?"

"Look, I don't have time for this right now, I have a lunatic vampire to end." Damon hissed.

"So do I. Well, make that two, now. I knew I'd run into you here eventually."

"What the hell is your game? I thought you were a teacher."

"I am, by day. I teach up at Mystic Falls High now," Alaric added, "So I won't be far off."

"Don't threaten me. It will be the last thing you do, I promise." Damon growled. Alaric laughed, "At the moment, Saltzman, I am a little busy protecting somebody important from a newsreader-turned-psycho. Do you not think that you can put aside your woe-begotten marriage issues for the moment and return to this when a lot of people's lives _aren't_ at risk? Common enemy and all that jazz?" Alaric kept his gaze for a long moment, apparently weighing his options. Finally he nodded. Damon huffed out a breath and listened, but to his annoyance, Logan had clearly left during his brief altercation with Alaric. Both men turned to exit and go after him, but Damon had inhuman speed on his side.

* * *

"You came back," Elena was so glad to see Stefan that she hugged him. He hugged her back, a little surprised.

"Damon has gone looking for Logan, so I'm here to protect you guys." His eyes darted in the direction of the various rooms of the house and the stairs as she let him go.

"I was hoping he thinks you have to be invited in each time you visit. Then he might not come back." Elena said hopefully, though she wasn't convinced of this idea. Chances are if he came back that Jenna would ask him in all over again.

"Just try to keep calm and not panic. This will all be over soon. If anybody can get Logan, it's going to be Damon."

* * *

Damon caught up with the Sheriff outside of the Grill. She was replacing her radio which she had used to call for back up and looking around worriedly.  
"Liz." He greeted her. "Which way did he go?"

"You saw him?" She asked Damon.

"I didn't want to approach- he doesn't know I'm pursuing him and I don't want him knowing either." Liz nodded, believing the smooth lie he'd thrown her without question.

"I don't know where exactly he went, he drove off in his car around that way. Caroline was waiting for me out here though and now she's gone." The Sheriff looked scared, and despite the fact Caroline annoyed the hell out of him, Damon was not pleased at the way this looked. Damon put a hand on Liz Forbes' arm.

"Look, we will get her back and she'll be fine." Liz looked up trustingly into his eyes and she nodded. Damon took off without another word, waiting until he was out of sight before speed-running up the road. Mystic Falls didn't have much traffic anyway, but this time at night there were not going to be many cars passing through. This would make it a lot easier for him to find out where exactly Logan was going, though he was sure he'd take Caroline back to his warehouse-turned-mortuary.

He was around two miles up the road when he came upon an intersection. And there ahead of him, stopped at light in his SUV, was Logan Fell. Damon could already smell Caroline's blood.  
In seconds he was seizing Logan and dragging him out of the car. Caroline was unconscious in the front seat- Logan had obviously told her that her mother wanted him to drop her home, and he'd knocked her out afterwards.

Damon stabbed Logan through the stomach with the stake he'd stolen from Alaric. He produced the second one, one of his own, and held its point up against Logan's throat as he groaned and wheezed in pain.

"Not nice, is it?" Damon asked.

"Logan what happened?" He could hear Liz Forbes' voice again somehow. He looked down and saw that Logan had dropped his phone when Damon had dragged him out of his car, and that a call to the Sheriff was still active.

"Move one muscle and you won't even have a chance to explain," Damon warned Logan, twisting the stake in his stomach a little to emphasise his point. Logan whimpered as Damon retrieved the phone. "Sheriff? Yeah, it's Damon," He kept his eyes on Logan, "Caroline's fine," Damon replied in answer to the Sheriff's question.

"He was going to turn her." Liz said in horror. Damon might have been amused by that any other time, but not in that moment. He owed Logan big time.

"She's going to be fine. I'm on Elm Street." He cut the line dead and tossed Logan's phone back inside the car. Caroline did not look as if she was going to stir any time soon but he couldn't be sure of that.  
"Alright, " Damon turned back to Logan, slamming him against the side of the car, "This is your last chance. Who turned you?" He growled the last three words.

"I told you, I don't know!" Logan Fell looked as if he might start begging in a moment; without wooden bullets he had no chance against Damon, who was much older and stronger than himself.

"You can either tell me and you can die quickly or you can carry on lying and have a long and drawn out death." He had the satisfaction of seeing Logan gulp in fear. Damon smirked, waiting, head cocked to the side for whatever his answer might be.

"How can you side with them? The Founders?" Logan gasped. Damon rolled his eyes; he ought to have expected stupid and pointless questions after their conversation in the warehouse earlier on. He glanced again towards Caroline, but she still wasn't moving. He could hear her heartbeat, faint but even, as well as her breathing.

"I don't side with anyone. You pissed me off so I want you dead. Who. Turned. You?" He demanded again, emphasising each word.

"I don't know!" Damon sighed at this answer, bored of hearing it.

"Alright, have it your way." He pushed the stake in Logan's stomach further in, before poising the second stake over his heart. It was actually halfway into his chest when Logan cried out,

"Wait! Wait! I know!" Damon glared at him.

"You're lying!"

"I know you want to get into the tomb under the old church. You're not alone." That was enough to stop him. Damon pulled the stake back out of his chest, staring, his breath catching in his throat. This was the last thing that he'd expected to hear, and yet… he could hear the sirens in the background now, the Sheriff on her way to deal with Logan.

"If you're lying to me, I will end you." The flashing lights were drawing closer. Damon drew the first stake out of Logan's stomach.

"There's another way to break the spell. We can help you. Meet me at the old church." The cop cars were skidding to a halt and Damon only had a split second to make his decision in, but make it he did:

"Take me down. Make it look real!" Logan shoved Damon backwards, snatching the stakes from his hands in the moment, then threw him back against the car. Winded as Logan disappeared from sight, the Sheriff hurried over to him.

* * *

Logan had gotten away. Elena couldn't understand how Damon could allow that to happen- Stefan had sworn he seemed intent on killing Logan himself, which was the only reason Stefan had agreed to come back to the Gilbert's to look out for them rather than join Damon in the quest. But, Damon had sent a vague text to his brother about Logan 'getting away' and that had been all she heard. Stefan was furious but he couldn't leave her house unguarded. He had complied with erasing Jenna's memory of Elena's award-winning distraction crying jag in order to save Elena's embarrassment and explanation, but other than that he hadn't said anything for hours. Jeremy and Jenna eventually went to bed. This left Elena and Stefan in her bedroom.

"You should go to sleep," Stefan told her after a long while. Elena had actually been writing in her journal, sitting back against her pillows, and looked up in surprise when he finally spoke.

"How can I?" She asked despairingly. Stefan sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, looking at her.

"I'm sorry you're all caught up in this, Elena." He told her.

"It's not your fault. You didn't turn Logan." He nodded and she thought she saw a little of his dark mood lift- he'd obviously been feeling guilty. "Thank you for looking out for me, Stefan. I know that…" Elena hesitated, not wanting to really have to say it out loud, "Just… thank you. It means the world to me."

"I'm just sorry about my brother. I don't know why he just let him go, especially when Logan can get in this house…" Stefan said it calmly but she saw his hands ball into fists.

"Stefan?" She murmured timidly, not used to seeing any signs that Stefan was struggling to stay in control. She even saw the veins around his eyes begin to show for a moment, but they vanished from sight when he unclenched his fists.

"He cares about you Elena, I know he does. That's why I thought I could trust him with this." Elena's heart jumped when he said the first part, but then the second part filled her with doubt. Stefan was right; if Damon cared about her he wouldn't have let Logan get away. There was simply no way in hell that Logan had overpowered Damon. The pair of them lapsed into silence and Elena could feel exhaustion trying to take her into the land of sleep, but she couldn't let it. Stefan's jaw was clenched so tight she thought he might break a tooth.

"Stefan, I don't think he's coming back tonight. Go. Go home and… deal… with Damon." Stefan looked doubtful, "It's not doing either one of us any good right now. If I hear anything then I'll call you." She knew he didn't want to leave her. She knew that but he had to, before she went crazy. She needed to call Damon and speak to him herself and she couldn't do that with Stefan in listening distance. There was only one thing she could imagine Damon would allow Logan to live for and that was anything to do with Katherine.

Stefan left though, much against his instincts, and Elena dialled. It was a while before Damon picked up the phone but he did in the end.  
"Elena?" Damon's voice sounded strange. She sat up straight automatically in response.

"Damon… What happened?" Elena asked. He didn't answer right away but Elena waited. Finally Damon replied:

"Logan told me something… he told me there's another way to get into the tomb." She had thought it had to be something like that. She didn't say anything this time either, she just chewed her lip and listened to him breathing.  
"Elena, can you come here? I know it's not safe, but neither is home and… I'd like to see you." It was the middle of the night, but for some reason she agreed. She wanted to see Damon too.


	21. Promises

**Chapter Twenty-One: Promises**

" _He cares about you Elena, I know he does. That's why I thought I could trust him with this."_ That was her last coherent thought as her car hit the man in the road and went spinning out of control. It rolled over and Elena could hear herself screaming. Vampires might be bloodthirsty monsters but _this_ was her worst nightmare- a car wreck, an accident all over again. Upside down as the car landed on its roof, she could see the man she'd hit lying in the road. After the screeching and crashing of the car it seemed eerily silent now. She'd only been heading to see Damon, he had asked to see her. She had snuck out of the house; if she died then nobody would know where she'd gone.

And then, the man moved. Slowly, he got up and she watched as, with audible crunches, he clicked his bones back into face. He was no ordinary man, Elena realised: he was a vampire.  
She started screaming again, terrified. What if it was Logan? He was drawing closer to her. Elena watched his feet getting closer and closer as she struggled with her seatbelt, but it was jammed. He stopped, and she saw his knees bend, and then…. He was gone. A second in time passed and then Damon appeared, making her jump as he bent down to look at her.

"How're you doing in there?" He asked her, sounding nonchalant although his face looked concerned.

"Damon," She breathed.

"You seem to be stuck."

"My seatbelt… it won't… I can't get it…" Elena mumbled pathetically. Tears were falling up her face, dotting the ceiling of her car, and sobs ripped from her throat.

"Okay," He hushed her soothingly, "I'm going to get you out, alright? We can do it. I want you to put your hands on the roof. Can you do that?" Elena nodded and put her hands on the roof as instructed. "Alright, on three. One… two… three…" He ejected her seatbelt and she had a moment where she was falling, but Damon caught her and managed to get her out of the car without a single graze. "I got you. You okay? Anything broken?"

"No," Elena said. She felt lightheaded, looking up into his bright blue eyes where she was cradled in his arms.

"Can you walk?" She nodded, and Damon set her gently on her feet, but Elena's legs went out from under her immediately and he caught her. "Okay, focus, Elena, you're gonna be okay. Focus on me. Look at me, Elena." She tried, she really tried, but everything around her was fading away faster than she could hold onto it. He held onto her face, moving it so that she was looking right at him.

"You care about me…" She mumbled, and then everything went black.

* * *

Damon picked Elena up, holding her carefully in his arms. The accident had obviously given her the fright of her life, and he wasn't surprised after what she'd been through when losing her parents. And then there was that creepy vampire that had been following her… he wasn't Logan. Although Damon hadn't got a close look at the guy, he could tell that much. He kept Elena close, trying not to get distracted by looking at her. Despite the circumstances, she looked beautiful and peaceful whilst she was unconscious. He was pondering the meaning of the last thing she'd said by the time he got her back to his car. If one thing was clear, it was that both he and Elena needed a break from this town.

He drove all night, thinking about what Logan had told him, about the key to unlocking the tomb being in the Founders journals. He could check for his father's at home, and failing that he assumed that the Gilbert's probably had all of theirs- specifically, Johnathon Gilbert's 1864 entries would be useful. Damon wasn't even sure, though, that he wanted to open that tomb anymore. He had been devastated when Emily had destroyed the crystal, and angry beyond reason… but when he glanced out the corner of his eye at Elena, he wondered how much he needed Katherine with him. Stefan might be right- she might have just compelled Damon's love. It had felt nothing like, well… this.

He didn't love Elena Gilbert, Damon told himself that as he tore his eyes away from her. She just reminded him of Katherine… well, that was feeble, he thought; he didn't think of Elena as remotely reminiscent of Katherine. They were not the same person. What did he do? Did he open the tomb? He had to get Katherine out. The rest of those vampires- he hoped there'd be a way to keep them inside.

Elena stirred as the sun grew bright in the sky. She frowned, groaned, and tried to stretch. That was when she glanced over at him and realised they were in his car, surrounded by unfamiliar territory. Damon smiled: "Good morning sunshine."

"Where are we?" Elena asked, looking out of the window and then back at him.

"Georgia." He replied, grinning even wider.

"Georgia?" Elena repeated, "No. No we're not. Seriously, Damon, where are we?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Georgia," He said again, "Seriously. How are you feeling?" Elena frowned, apparently starting to accept the reality of the situation. Damon simply kept them flying down the open road, waiting for her to speak.

"My car… that guy… what happened? Who was he?"

"I'd like to know too. Elena," He took one hand off the steering wheel in order to touch her wrist. He heard her heart skip a beat when he did that, but he gave no indication that he knew of this, "Are you hurt? I checked for broken bones and there were none but if you need healing…" She looked at him as if she'd only just noticed that he was there. Her eyes travelled from his face to his hand on her arm and then to the speedometer.

"I'm fine, we won't be if you don't slow down though!" She gaped. Damon knew they wouldn't crash but he could understand why she was currently spooked, so he slowed down to just below the speed limit accordingly. Elena's breathing seemed to ease a little. She licked her lips and then asked, "Where's my phone? Nobody knows where I am. I need to call home."

"You don't want to go back?" Damon asked softly. He watched the thought cross her mind- he'd expected her to demand to be taken back immediately, but she hadn't.

"I… don't know. I just, let me have my phone. And I need to get out for a minute, get fresh air, okay?" He sighed and pulled over to the side of the road. Elena got out and he followed suit, whipping around the front of his car; Elena was limping a little.

"You okay?" He asked her carefully. Elena nodded, giving him a strange look. Apparently the full version of last night's events was coming back. He felt in his pocket, where he could feel the cool metal of the necklace Stefan had given her. He'd taken it off in case he needed to calm her down, with no idea how she'd react to finding herself miles away from home after he'd let Logan go. At that exact moment, Elena's cell phone started ringing.

"That might be Jenna, I'm supposed to be going to school today-" Damon checked the name on the phone. It was Stefan. He held it out for her to see and her eyes went wide when she saw this. Elena shook her head. "He'll ask too many questions- it was hard to send him away last night." Damon nodded and picked up the call.

"Elena's phone," He couldn't resist taunting his brother a little.

"Damon, where the hell is Elena? I came back to check on her this morning and she's gone. Where have you taken her?" Stefan sounded angry and panicky at the same time.

"Elena is fine. I'm with her." He heard Elena gulp as if nervous when he said that and he tried to look at her to gauge her expression but she turned her face away from him.

"Where are you? Let me speak to her," Stefan demanded.

"She doesn't _want_ to speak to you Stefan, so that'll be a no." Stefan paused after this and Damon could hear him let out an annoyed breath, but he resigned:

"Fine. But you should know that somebody staked Logan last night, even though you didn't." Damon was a little surprised to hear this, but he wondered at something- the guy he had taken the second stake from in the Grill, Alaric Saltzman, husband of Isobel.

"Forgive me if I don't shed a tear. Now, toodle-oo, baby brother." He hung up and Elena looked at him. Damon relayed the last piece of news to her and he saw a little relief cross her face. Obviously now she knew that Jenna and Jeremy couldn't be hurt she had less to fear by being away from Mystic Falls.

"What did Logan tell you?" She asked him in a low voice, watching his face. Damon had rather hoped the interrogation would wait.

"Elena, I promise I will explain everything to you. We're nearly there, and then I will do that. But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter because today we both need to take a step back from our lives. And, you know, have fun. Okay? So just… stop being yourself for a little while. Everything is going to be fine. I will keep you safe." Elena sighed but nodded. He smiled and opened the door for her to hop back in the car, before closing it and speeding round to the driver's side. He slid in beside her and started the engine.

"So," Elena sounded a little resigned, "Where is 'there'?"

"Just a little place outside of Atlanta." He smirked. Today would be a good day, _that_ he had already decided.

* * *

Elena watched Damon closely that day. She watched him give the bartender, Bree, a sloppy kiss on the lips which made her stomach turn over with jealousy despite her current bad mood with Damon. She watched him knock back shots and beers and even swallow a hamburger almost whole when he remembered that she needed to eat. She had been hoping to watch him for any signs that he was going to yield on the subject of Logan and explain about the supposed new way of opening the tomb, but eventually her observation just turned into watching. She hadn't seen Damon laugh so much back home. He laughed easier than Stefan did, sure, but he hadn't done much of that since the night Emily had destroyed the crystal. It was nice to see him with his eyes sparkling and his laugh was contagious.

"How did you two meet?" Elena asked Bree. She'd warmed to the lady right away- she was older, probably in her late thirties or early forties, though she supposed technically speaking that Damon was a lot older than that himself.

"College," Bree smiled.

"You went to college?" Elena looked at Damon with surprise- she hadn't had him down as the college type before now. Confirming this, Damon grinned:

"I've been on a college campus," He corrected her. Elena nodded.

"Twenty years ago, when I was a sweet young freshman, I fell in love with this beautiful man. He told me his secret and that just made me love him more, because I have a little secret of my own of course." Bree smiled mysteriously.

"She's a witch," Elena jumped when Damon whispered this in her ear. His breath had tickled her. Elena looked at Bree with renewed interest. The only witches she knew were Bonnie and her Grams and even then she knew very little about the actual practices. Bree seemed more of a free spirit than either of them, too.

"This one here, he changed my world, you know." Bree indicated Damon, who smouldered at her.

"I _rocked_ your world, you mean." Elena shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like Damon flirting with anybody else, even when it was somebody older and with whom he seemed to have history. In fact, that made it worse because it made her suddenly, painfully aware how little she knew about Damon's life before the night she had met him.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree asked Elena, working on assumptions, "But mostly he's a Walk-Away-Joe." As she flounced away to serve another customer, Elena looked around at Damon, only to find he was already watching her. He seemed to be sitting very close, and his eyes were pinned on hers.

"You came here to ask her about opening that tomb." She hadn't managed to get out of Damon what was needed to open the tomb but it could be no coincidence that he'd taken her all the way here to visit his witch ex-girlfriend. Damon moved his hand up to her cheek. He held it there, stroking his thumb along her jawline. His hand was cool against her skin.

"Do you hate me, Elena?" His voice was very quiet.

"What? I…" She frowned, confused, "No, of course not."

"Will you hate me if I do this?" She knew he meant opening the tomb. Elena thought about it. She still didn't want those vampires out, and she didn't think she could stand to meet Katherine and see her and Damon go off into the sunset, happily ever after. But on the other hand… he had been determined to do this for over a century. It was never going to be easy for him to give up, and there was no guarantee that Katherine really loved Damon. There was still the Stefan element of this story to factor in- no water-tight promise of a happy ending here, but Elena also didn't want to see Damon unhappy.

"No." Elena spoke this word decisively, "I won't hate you, Damon. I… I think I can understand, kind of. I just… why do I look like her?" The question came bursting out of her, though she'd held it in since she'd first seen the picture of Katherine, "It doesn't make sense. How are we connected?"

"I don't know." Damon replied seriously, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I don't know but maybe she does." Elena nodded, not believing what she was about to say:

"I'll help you, Damon, if I can. I'll help you get into that tomb… as long as the other vampires don't get out." Shock passed over his face, but then he smiled. He laughed. Damon kissed her cheek than pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, not something Elena had ever believed him capable of. She made to let go of him but he just held her tighter, not moving.

"You're my best friend, Elena…. My only friend. You know that?" He murmured into her hair. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, happy. Damon always smelt clean and natural. "I promised you fun today, though, so fun you'll get. But you should probably call your Aunt Jenna first and tell her you're alright." He let go of her at last and handed back her phone. Elena felt a strange emotion she couldn't identify as she turned and headed to the door where there was better reception outside.

Elena didn't know what exactly she'd agreed to, but she would follow through on her promise no matter what.

* * *

 **A/N: So things are changing around these parts!**

 **It's about time I thanked everyone who has given me feedback so far. So shout-out to Candy Momo, Megan Schmidt, CBoth, Nataras, and every other person who was dropped me a review along the way.**


	22. Blood and Gore

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Blood and Gore**

"Damon," Elena was drunk. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this wasted and frankly, she didn't care to remember it either, "I think Bree still likes you." She spoke this last part into his ear, staggering a little as she leant in. Damon caught her with an arm around her waist. He lifted his glass to his lips and downed the rest of his drink, placing the glass back on the bar. Over the day they'd kept drinking and by the time it was dark, the party was in full swing at Bree's bar, music and laughter filling the place up. Elena was having fun, just as Damon promised, and she was grateful to him for it- it was the first time in ages that she had enjoyed herself.

"All the girl's like me," Damon slurred, "Always have an' always will." Elena looped her arms around his neck and grinned up at him.

"Damon Salvatore, I think you're drunk," She accused playfully. She felt his arms close around her waist in turn and didn't resist when he pulled her closer to his body.

"If I'm drunk then you're hammered." Elena giggled at this and he moved them both in time to the music, leaning his forehead against hers.

"So tell me… if I'm descended from Katherine… does that make me part vampire?" She asked him. The thought had crossed her mind before but she'd never gotten around to asking how biology worked for vampires.

"Vampires can't procreate- much as we try," Damon winked and she laughed again, "Katherine would have had to have had a child before she was turned." Elena thought about this, though her mind was a little too hazy to delve into it deeply. She was resolved to re-examine these thoughts at a more sober time.

"Did Stefan think he was replacing her with me?" Damon actually stopping moving on that question and Elena thought she saw something in his eyes… fear? She'd never seen Damon afraid in her life and she couldn't imagine much scared him, so that couldn't be right. But he pulled himself back together within a second and returned to swaying them along with the music.

"If my brother thought that, I'd be surprised," Damon admitted, "He hates Katherine now. Really. I guess he was just curious and then, I don't know, he found out who you are. You _are_ quite adorable you know." Embarrassed by his compliment, Elena hid her face in his shoulder. Damon's hands slid up her back and he hugged her, not as tightly as before but it was nice all the same.  
"I told you before, Elena, but you're nothing like her. I mean, apart from being the creepy carbon copy, you are worlds apart. Nobody could mix you two up, not anyone who knows you." She looked up at him and for a second the world seemed to stand still. They were both drunk but there was a minute of clarity, sobriety, when she saw Damon clearly.

"I'm more like you, Damon. I'm turning into you." She was the sad kid waiting for the wrong person to love her back, just like he had been for 145 years.

"Is that such a bad thing?" He asked her, serious for a moment, head cocked to the side as he waited for an answer.

"Rather you than Stefan." She replied, and Damon, laughing, moved his hand to the back of her head, bringing her lips to his. Surprised, Elena kissed him back for a moment, before they broke apart. Damon's eyes were bright and dancing and Elena's cheeks were flushed, but then her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Jenna and hurried back outside to answer it.

* * *

He wasn't sure how it happened, but Elena Gilbert had saved his life. The events that had followed her leaving the bar were initially muddled because of the drink. All Damon knew was that Elena was gone, and when he found her she was accompanied by the same mystery vampire she'd hit with her car. Injured and doused in gasoline, he had thought about the near-death experiences he'd experienced in his lifetime. Was this just going to be another? But somehow, Elena, angel that she was, came through for him. She connected with the guy, talked about Lexi, and suddenly he was gone and Damon was free. And he was looking up at her as she cradled his head in her lap.

"Oh my God. Damon…" Elena whispered.

"I'm fine, Elena," But something ugly was falling into place as his injuries healed. This was no coincidence; his head turned towards Bree's bar. Bree had been friends with Lexi; that had been something which surprised them both back in the day. He sat up. One last thing to do and they were out of here. "Hey," He turned back to the girl who had miraculously saved him, despite being a mere human: "Thank you, Elena. Go to my car," He placed the keys in her hand, "Lock yourself in and wait for me. Okay?"

"What are you doing?" She asked him nervously. He got to his feet and then helped her up in turn.

"Just saying goodbye. Trust me." And so, Damon waited as he watched the final customers leave the place. Bree had betrayed him- betrayal came at a cost in Damon's book. He trusted very few people; he had not expected Bree to double cross him. He hadn't even been aware that she and Lexi were still in contact, let alone that she knew he'd killed her. Bree was taking a shot at the bar when he re-entered.  
"We were just leaving," He made her jump when he spoke because she hadn't heard him enter. He was also pleased to hear her heart rate pick up out of fear, "I just came to say goodbye."

"It was good to see you again, Damon." She didn't turn around. Damon could feel his fangs in his mouth. He ran his tongue along the tips of them, but he said nothing, "I'm full of vervain." She warned him at last.

"And why are you telling me this?" He breathed and got his face back under control. Bree turned to face him but he was already right in front of her by the time she turned around. She gasped.

"Lexi was my _friend_. How could you, Damon?" A lot of people had asked him that question. Only two of them had the power to make him feel bad- Stefan and Elena. One was his brother and the other was his… best friend? Damon took a threatening step closer to Bree. He didn't have to feed from her to kill her, she knew that. "The tomb can be opened," She blabbed, finally. This was not what she had said to him hours before.

"You're lying!" He said angrily.

"I'm not, I swear. The grimoire, Emily's spellbook, if the spell to close the tomb is in there the reversal will be too. I don't know where it is, I'm telling you the truth!" But it was too late for Bree.

"I hope you know I'm not sorry." His hand closed around her heart. She let out a horrified gasp of pain, and then he tore it away. He could feel the veins and arteries snapping uselessly, until her dead body crumpled before him. He dropped her heart on the floor beside her and wiped the blood off on a rag lying on the bar. "Goodbye old friend."

Elena had done as he said. She only unlocked the car when she saw he was close and he got in, not saying anything. Elena looked scared. Damon knew that she was realised what he'd done and that made her afraid of him- something he hated. He didn't want Elena to be scared of him. She had no reason to be.  
"I need to find Emily's grimoire." He told her as they drove away.

"Her… what?" Elena asked with a frown.

"Her spellbook. The reversal for the spell on the tomb should be in there." Elena bit her lip and Damon sighed. They had both sobered up given the crazy blur of events that had just happened in the past hour- their brief time away from being themselves was over. "Elena, I will understand it if you don't want to help me."

"I said I would," She actually looked surprised that he'd offered her an out, "I promised I'd help you, Damon."

"I promised you'd be safe with me but you still got kidnapped." This time it was her hand which stretched across to him, to rest on his knee for a moment.

"I _am_ safe, Damon. And I've made my decision already. I'm not going to turn my back on you… I know what I've gotten into with you." Touched, he placed his hand over hers for a moment, squeezing it, before he put his back on the wheel and she replaced hers in her own lap. Their second kiss didn't get mentioned.

* * *

Elena stood faced with the challenge of Stefan's bedroom door. Swallowing, she glanced back at Damon, who was about to enter his bathroom. He nodded and gestured to his brother's door, urging her onwards. Sighing, she knocked on the door.  
"Come in," Stefan called dully. She had never been in his room before. It didn't contain a whole lot- books and pictures and memories. Many of the things Stefan kept were old and obviously meant something to him. He looked surprised to see her.

"I'm sorry for the disappearing act," Elena apologised to him, "I just… yesterday was insane, and then today was even crazier." Stefan, who'd been seated on the end of his bed, stood up with a sad sort of smile.

"You don't have to apologise to me, Elena. I'm just glad you're safe." There was an awkward pause between them.

"So, did you find out who staked Logan?" She asked him.

"Our History teacher," Stefan replied, earning a start of surprise from Elena, "Turns out he has a side-line in vampire hunting." And this was the one who had shown interest in her aunt Jenna. She didn't really want her family tied up anymore with the supernatural goings on than they already were, honestly, but _somebody_ had had to get rid of Logan before he hurt anybody else.

"Funny that he picked Mystic Falls." She didn't believe this was a coincidence and neither did Stefan, obviously. His expression actually became quite serious.

"Sure. Anyway instead of driving myself crazy wondering what you and my brother have been doing all day, I decided to look into your lineage to try and work out why you look so much like Katherine. I mean, I've been wondering it a long time now but I didn't want to dig around without your permission." Elena appreciated the respect he had shown her for this. She nodded, waiting for him to continue, but Stefan paused before he went on  
"Elena, before I go on, I have to tell you something and, well, I probably should have told you a long time ago. It wasn't just… Damon… who was there the night your parents died."

"What?" For a moment, she was flipping her car again after hitting Lexi's boyfriend the previous night and her head span.

"I'd just hit town when I saw your car going off Wickery Bridge." Elena said nothing. "I remember when you first told me about the accident, you said nobody knew how you got out of the car… well, I got you out. I couldn't believe how much like Katherine you looked. You'd passed out but your father… he made me save you first. By the time I got back to the car to get him, he was dead."

Tears were brimming up in Elena's eyes now. Stefan had saved her life. Stefan was the reason she was still standing here, that she had lived to see the next day. And he had never said anything, never asked for her thanks. She had been so fixated on Damon's presence that night… and he hadn't wanted anybody to know he was back in town. By 'anybody' he'd meant his brother, Stefan. He'd been tailing him.

"Stefan, I…" She began. He walked to her and put his hand on her arm.

"It's okay," He told her, "I would do it all over again."

"W-what were you trying to tell me?" He gripped her arm then.

"Your parents, the people that raised you, they weren't your parents. You were adopted." Elena felt like all the oxygen in the world had been sucked out. She grabbed onto Stefan and stared at him through teary eyes.

* * *

Damon closed the door quietly behind him. He had heard every word of Stefan and Elena's conversation. He wanted to run right in there, scoop Elena up and comfort her, then rip the head off of every person who'd lied to her about her identity. That's what he would want if it was him, but then, he probably wouldn't have minded finding out that he was adopted. When his father had lived, Damon had always come second best to Stefan, the golden boy. The black sheep of the Salvatore family, Damon might have at least found a reason why he didn't fit in and never had…

He found himself at the Mystic Grill. It was late, not far from closing time, and it might seem that he didn't need more drink after everything that'd happened in Atlanta already, but he couldn't stay in that house. In addition to needing to find the grimoire and having escaped death by bloody vengeance, his mind was full of his second kiss with Elena. He'd initiated it this time, unable to resist her, especially when she'd said she'd rather be like him than Stefan. He supposed that was part of him that had never changed- he'd wanted to be chosen over Stefan just once.

"Bourbon," He told the pretty young bartender.

"We're about to close," She protested. He reached over the counter and grabbed the bottle and a couple of glasses, leaning over to meet her eyes.

"I'm going to drink here and you're going to let me." Her face changed to a smile and she even offered him ice, but Damon waved her away. He was standing right beside Alaric Saltzman again and the History teacher was watching him. Damon poured himself a healthy measure of Bourbon, and matched it in the second glass. He slid this along the bar to Alaric.  
"We owe you thanks for dealing with our little problem."

"I'm not touching that." Alaric said, looking at the bourbon as if it'd called him a name.

"Suit yourself," Damon shrugged, drinking straight from the bottle now. Alaric was still watching him so he shook the bottle at him, "Helps with the cravings, surprisingly."

"What cravings are those? The ones where you kill people's wives?" Alaric didn't raise his voice, he just said it coldly, "I gave you a free pass because of that Logan douche, but you're still a vampire and you still…" The lights went down as the bartender closed the place down. Damon and Alaric were the last people inside.

"Killed your wife? Did I?" Damon smirked, "Maybe I should have."

"If she's alive…" Alaric took a threatening step towards him. Damon sighed, tired.

"I've had enough drama today, pal. _Yes_ , your wife is alive," Damon told him with an eyeroll, "She just didn't want to know you anymore. I mean, it's completely possible I ruined her for you after, you know," He gave his eyebrows a suggestive waggle to rub salt in the wound. He did no such thing with Isobel Saltzman but he knew how to push a guy's buttons.

"Where is she?" Alaric threw his glass at Damon, who caught it easily.

"I don't know," He told the teacher in a bored tone, "Nor do I care." He broke the class so that he was holding the base of it with jagged, sharp edges sticking out wards. "You know you should really keep better tabs on your woman." He threw the glass and it didn't miss. The jagged ends severed Alaric's throat, killing him instantly.

Well, Damon mused, he couldn't afford to have a vampire hunter drawing attention to himself at such a crucial time, and Alaric definitely knew far too much.

* * *

 **A/N: So a lot happened in this one! I really wanted to move the story along and this was a good time to do it. I hope it wasn't too much chopping and changing!**


	23. Another Uninvited Guest

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Another Uninvited Guest**

If Elena was to try and list all the things that were wrong then she would probably run out of paper quite quickly. So, she decided to pretend that nothing was wrong at all. She ignored Jenna, who'd known she was adopted all along, and she didn't tell anybody else anything that'd happened when she was in Atlanta with Damon. Bonnie and Caroline pestered her to spill her guts but she refused. She also didn't tell Stefan she'd agreed to help his brother get Katherine back. None of that would go down well with any of them and honestly, she didn't feel so bad about keeping secrets at the moment: a lot of people had been lying to her for her entire life.

Elena hadn't been expecting Damon to be waiting for her after school on the Friday of the following week. She hadn't seen him at close quarters since they'd gotten back from Atlanta, so she didn't protest when he steered her towards his car.  
"I'm supposed to get a ride home with Caroline today," Elena's car had been written off, leaving her in a hitch when it came to getting around. Her new car would be waiting for when she got home from school though- she had used some of the money her parents had left her when they died.

"So tell her you're coming with me instead." Elena glanced back. She could see Caroline was having a moment with Matt and decided not to bother her friend with this.

"What's up?" She asked him as she got into his car.

"I forgot to give this back to you," Damon replied, and he placed her vervain necklace into her hand. Alarmed, Elena's had jumped to her throat, where it usually sat.

"I hadn't even noticed it was gone."

"Just as well that nobody tried to compel you… saying that, I think we have another 'visitor'." He said the last word pointedly, and Elena groaned, closing her eyes. Was there any such thing as a normal week in her life anymore, she wondered? "Stefan has more jewellery at home to give to your friends and family to protect them. But first... how are you?"

"Me? I'm uh, I'm fine." This was a feeble lie and they both knew it. Damon didn't question this though, he just gave her a knowing look.

"And your witchy friend. What about her witchy ancestor's grimoire?" Elena had been dreading this question. Bonnie had been cagey and unsure of Emily's grimoire's whereabouts. Besides, she was hardly keen to be involved with the opening of that tomb in the first place. It had turned into bickering about Elena's friendship with Damon, which had turned into an argument. Bonnie had gone to Fell's Church the week before and had the ground cave in on her. She'd seen a pentagram on the door of the tomb but something had driven her away from the place. She was afraid of it. Elena didn't know that she blamed her.

"…She said they were screaming," Elena finished, having explained everything to Damon, "Does it… hurt them, in there?"

"Not anymore. Desiccation is a bitch but once you've dried out you don't' feel anything." She nodded, thinking about this. But then another question occurred to her, "The man in the road… was that Lexi's boyfriend or was it… this 'visitor'?" They had both assumed the former when it'd happened but it was a long way to stalk somebody to Atlanta. And Lexi's boyfriend had known Bree…

"It's got to be this visitor guy." Damon replied, pausing, "Did you find anything out about your real parents?" Elena shook her head miserably. She was curious and she wanted to know but she wasn't ready to question Jenna yet. "I think you should try to find something out, you know… whatever the reason, it's always better to have the answer, right?"

"I don't know, Damon… I mean, I want to know, I just can't believe nobody ever told me."

"You know that it doesn't matter- your parents will still be your parents no matter what. They are the ones who raised you." Surprised to be hearing something so touching from Damon, Elena looked at him, her expression gentle.

"Thank you, Damon." He gave her a small smile but then they were interrupted by somebody knocking on the window on Elena's side of the car. She turned and found an annoyed looking Caroline looking at her expectantly. Elena rolled down the window.

"Um hello, we're supposed to be shopping for the Decade Dance," Caroline threw Damon an angry look.

"Oh no, I totally forgot!" Elena said, gobsmacked, "Sorry, Damon. I'll talk to you later, okay?" He nodded but as she got out of the car he placed his hand over hers on the seat.

"Take care, Elena."

Elena followed Caroline towards her car. The blonde had her arms folded across her chest and looked less than impressed with Elena's recent closeness to Damon.  
"What did he want?" She demanded, unlocking the car as they walked towards it.

"Just to see if I needed a ride home," Elena replied evasively.

"Right," Caroline muttered as they got into her car this time. Elena buckled up as she started the engine, "You do realise he's a complete psychopath, right?" Elena said nothing. She'd made her mind up about Damon. She knew what he was- selfish and reckless and, at times, cruel. But she'd also seen that he was caring and gentle and protective.  
"Elena, what is going on with you? Are you, like, dating Damon?"

"No." Caroline's mouth went into a thin line at this answer.

"Is he hurting you?"

"No." Elena repeated firmly.

"Then what-?" Caroline was obviously not going to let this go and given her own personal history with the elder Salvatore brother, Elena couldn't say she blamed her. So, she decided to speak:

"Damon is my friend. That's all. I trust him."

"You're crazy." Caroline looked worried, but she dropped the subject, satisfied at least that Elena knew what she was doing. If only Elena actually _did_ know what she was doing. But, she'd given Caroline and Matt her blessing, she didn't see why Caroline couldn't do the same for her, at least for now.

Shopping went well and it was nice to be able to think about something as normal as a high school dance given all the very abnormal things that had been going on in their lives lately. Elena was also looking forward to seeing Bonnie later on- it had been some time since they'd really hung out because Bonnie had taken some time to come to terms with her powers and the fact that Stefan and Damon were vampires. But that evening they met at the Grill and it was like old times; Elena even noticed that Bonnie's eyes were following the new bartender around.

"Isn't that Ben McKittrick?" Elena recognised him from the Timberwolves. He'd been their star player until he'd graduated the previous year and Elena hadn't seen him around much. She'd assumed he'd gone off to college on a sports scholarship of some kind and left Mystic Falls behind, but apparently he was back now. He seemed to be talking to Matt, who was looking for a job. He had taken Vicki's old shifts at the Grill to keep himself going but he was looking for something more substantial.

"Yes," Bonnie smiled a little dreamily, "Isn't he cute?"

"Have you talked to him?" Elena asked with a teasing grin.

"No," Bonnie answered, and then added coyly, "Not yet."

"You should, it's about time you got yourself a little action Bon." Elena informed her. Bonnie rolled her eyes at this.

"Whatever. Don't we have more important things to talk about, like the fact you're adopted?" Elena had in fact been happily avoiding this subject but she had known that Bonnie wouldn't let it pass unmentioned for long, "I just can't believe it." Bonnie shook her head.

"Yeah, me neither. I looked at my birth certificate and it lists Grayson and Miranda Gilbert as my birth parents though, so it only goes from weird to weirder." Elena had been confused, to say the least, when she came across that particular document because it told her nothing more about her birth parents. Obviously somebody had forged the birth certificate, though she had no idea why or what they were covering up.

"Have you spoken to Jenna about it yet?" Bonnie asked. Elena just sighed, "Look, you should. I know she could've told you but she probably didn't feel it was her place to do that. And she's been trying, since, to talk to you about it right?"

"Yes," Elena admitted reluctantly.

"Well that's a sign that she wants to tell the truth now. The Elena I know would want to know the truth no matter how good or bad it is."

"I don't really know who 'Elena' is anymore though, do I?" Elena asked moodily. Bonnie reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"You're still you. Besides, your best friend is a-" she mouthed the word 'witch'- "and your two, uh, _admirers_ ," Bonnie used the word with distaste, "Are you know what's. Unless your birth parents were aliens, how bad could it be?" Elena laughed. She had to admit, Bonnie had a point.

* * *

Damon was sitting in a shady corner of the Grill, listening. He'd listened to Bonnie and Elena's conversation and he had to admit to himself that Bonnie Bennett was a good friend to Elena no matter what feelings he had about her ancestor, Emily, these days. But he needed that grimoire and after a day of fruitlessly searching through old family journals he had decided the best way was to go right to the source. He waited for Elena to leave and then stopped in front of Bonnie as she tried to go to the bar to pay.

"What do you want from me?" Bonnie demanded immediately. She sounded brave but he could still hear the note of fear in her voice. Damon would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit guilty that she'd come as a victim of his rage through no fault of her own- a _bit_.

"I think we need a fresh start," He told her.

"You tried to kill me," She reminded him bluntly.

"Yeah, but I didn't. If I wanted to I would have. Does that not count for anything?" He asked her but she just looked angry.

"I can start fires with my mind, you know that? Fires kill vampires, right?" He was a little taken aback by this; if the witch was starting to learn to use her powers then she could either be a little help or a major hindrance, in his opinion. "I don't what Elena says about you just being misunderstood or whatever, you just stay the hell away from me." Before Damon could respond they were interrupted by the new bartender boy.

"Everything okay over here?" He asked.

"We're fine." Damon snapped dismissively, eyes on Bonnie Bennett.

"I wasn't asking you." So he was a smart mouth. Damon deigned to look at him and when he did he found himself having to fight the urge to snap his pretty-boy neck. Instead, he just pulled a face and walked away. He'd have to tackle the Bonnie issue someplace where there were no overgrown high school boys to come to her rescue. He was about to order himself a stiff drink when his phone started to ring. It was Elena. Frowning, he picked up.

"Hey," He greeted her.

"Damon?" She asked and he felt his whole body tense. He knew that voice; Elena sounded frightened. "Damon, I- I just got a call. From the guy I hit with my car."

"Where are you?" He asked her.

"I just drove to the library, I wanted to be somewhere public in case…" The library was only a short distance away from the Mystic Grill. Damon was already heading out the door. "Damon, he could see my new car and he… he said I won't get away next time."

"I'll be right there." On the way there, he called Stefan and told him to bring the Gilbert compass. They had no idea where this guy was or really what he looked like- it was important that Elena had some warning that he was going to show up. Damon reached the library in minutes, having vamp sped there. Elena was sitting on a couch, bolt upright, looking scared. Instinctively, he pulled her into him and she clung around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Why me? What does he want from me?" She asked in a small voice, "If he wants me dead, why call?"

"Vampires are predators. The hunt, the chase- is just as exciting as the kill sometimes." Stefan had arrived, and in his hand he had the compass. His younger brother gave him a look when he saw that Damon's arm was around Elena but she didn't let go so neither did he. Stefan sat down on the table in front of Elena and held out the compass.

"That's Jeremy's pocket watch," Elena looked surprised, "How did you get it?"

"I took it from Logan when I killed him the first time. He must have stolen it from you." Damon explained quickly. He could only think what kind of spin Stefan might put on that story otherwise. Elena took the watch and opened it. She looked confused at the compass spinning inside- it's point switching alternately between himself and Stefan. "It's a device which points to vampires, disguised as a watch." Damon gently took the watch from her hand and held it. The pointer span round then clicked into place, pointing at himself.

"Why did my father have this?" Elena asked, as she took the compass back, closing it.

"The Gilbert's were founders. They were committed to eradicate the vampires in Mystic Falls. In 1864 they used this device to find us," Stefan explained. Damon nodded, remembering the compass point spinning around in Johnathon Gilbert's hands, singling out each and every vampire in town, including _her_.

"Did you know them?" Elena obviously meant the Gilbert's. Damon and Stefan's eyes met for a fraction of a second and Damon knew his brother was remembering the same thing he was.

"Yes. We want you to keep this so you'll know if you're in danger," Damon told her, evading the previous question as much as possible. Elena smiled when she looked at him and he smiled back, glad he had been able to protect her better this time. He heard her heart pick up speed when he smiled back and by the way Stefan's chin jerked involuntarily, he knew his brother had heard it too.

* * *

"I guess I probably shouldn't go the dance tomorrow," Elena told Damon as he walked her to her front door, "I don't want to put any of my friends in danger."

"Elena, the more people there are around the better. He's not going to want to draw attention to himself," They stopped at the door, "And I'm not going to let anything happen to your friends either." Although Damon did not particularly care for any of Elena's friends, the last school dance had ended in Vicki Donovan turning murderously hungry and ending up being staked to death. They didn't need another scene like that.

"You-you're coming?" Elena looked surprised.

"Well, duh. I'm not gonna let you go unprotected am I?" He teased.

"Stefan is going to be there," She shrugged.

"Yeah well." Damon shuffled awkwardly.

"Did you find anything out about the grimoire?" Elena asked. Damon shook his head.

"No luck," He admitted with some frustration.

"I'll see what I can find out. Goodnight, Damon." They lingered for a minute, looking at each other, and Elena thought she saw him struggling with himself. But then he bent his head and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight Elena. Keep an eye on the compass."


	24. Decade Dance

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Decade Dance**

"How do I look?" Jenna twirled around in her 1950s outfit as she simultaneously tidied the living room. Elena smiled.

"You look great." Elena answered.

"Alaric asked me to help chaperone." Well, that explained her aunt's sudden giving mood when she volunteered to give up her free time to hang out at a high school dance.

"You could have claimed on the insurance for your car, Elena. I spoke to them today."

"What? And screw up my no-claims bonus?" Elena tried to sound light and joking but she wasn't feeling that way at all. Her small act of rebellion in spending some of the money she'd inherited had immensely satisfied her- doing something her parents wouldn't have approved of after finding out they'd lied to her for her entire life satisfied her inner teenager. Before she knew it, the question came bursting out of her:  
"Why didn't you tell me, Jenna?"

"Your mom was gonna do it eventually," Jenna began with difficulty, "I never thought I'd have to."

"If I asked my mom she would've told me the truth." Elena watched Jenna, who swallowed visibly.

"Your dad was leaving the office for the night when this girl showed up. She was sixteen, a runaway, about to give birth. He delivered her baby, gave her a place to stay, but then she disappeared a few days later. Your parents had been trying so hard to have a baby and… well, there you were. All Miranda ever wanted was to be a mom, and … well, it just didn't seem to be happening for them." Elena took a minute to digest this story. She wasn't sure how she felt about it; she was glad that her parents taking her in had been an act of kindness, and that they had given her a great home to grow up in… but she found it hard to forgive the lies.

"Why were my parent's names on the birth certificate?" Elena asked.

"Your dad was a doctor, Elena, he took care of it. They didn't wanna lose you so they didn't tell many people… they had documentation if anyone ever asked, that was all it took." Elena nodded- that part made sense.

"What else do you know? The girl?" She closed her eyes as she waited for the answer. She didn't know what she wanted to hear, if truth be told. She was feeling quite jaded by the fact she was a result of a teenage knock-up.

"I only know her name," Jenna told her, and Elena could hear the sincerity in her voice, "Isobel."

* * *

Stefan had forgotten his phone in his haste to rush over to Elena to be her date.  
"Trust Stefan to put a rat under the wheel," Damon murmured to himself. He'd been scanning his father's journals all day. It hadn't taken Stefan long to figure out that he was looking for another way to open the tomb. He'd even offered to help get Katherine out if it meant Damon would leave town, but Damon hadn't accepted; he had no interest in being double crossed by his brother. Stefan was a liar even if he pretended otherwise, and he had no idea that Elena was already helping Damon. That was a thought to keep him warm, he smiled to himself.

Stefan's phone rang as he tossed another journal aside. He saw that it was Elena calling and he picked it up with a light greeting.  
"Where is he?" Elena asked immediately, sounding breathless.

"He's on his way to you. He forgot his phone," Damon replied.

"Oh thank God. The compass was spinning. Stefan must be here, then. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Damon's voice was steady but he was already propelling himself out the door. Stefan was fast but he wasn't that fast- there was something very wrong about the compass spinning already. When he arrived at Elena's house, he found Elena in a state of nervous collapse while Stefan was sombre.

"How did he get in?" Damon demanded. The other two were sat meekly on the couch while he paced.

"He was invited in," Elena admitted, "Jeremy let a pizza guy in yesterday. I didn't even think about it." Damon shot Stefan a look.

"He gets points for that. Did he tell you what he wanted?" Damon demanded. Elena shook her head.

"He was too busy trying to kill me." Damon growled out loud in frustration. Who was this intruder and what did he want with Elena?

"Damon, he was _invited in_ ," Stefan said pointedly, bringing Damon back to the matter at hand. They had no choice; they had to get rid of this guy tonight. It was Logan Fell all over again; he could get into the house and have at Elena whenever he felt like it. Damon sighed.

"You up for this, Elena?" Stefan looked like he was about to protest Elena's involvement, but Damon knew by now that she was made of stronger stuff than Stefan might give her credit for. Elena had saved Damon's life, after all, and had actually negotiated with a murderous vampire to do so. And neither Salvatore was going to let anything happen to this girl. Damon had given up pretending that he didn't care about Elena; he obviously did. And she had set her feelings for him aside to help him get back the love of his life- that meant a lot to him.

"What do I have to do?" She looked scared but determined. Stefan's eyes moved from her to Damon and back.

"You let Stefan take you to the dance and we see who shows up." It was simple.

"That's a bad idea," Stefan argued. Damon sighed.

"This house isn't safe for anyone who lives in it until we get him. It has to be tonight and this is the only way of doing it." He wasn't too fond of using Elena as fishing bait for a vampire either but it was the only thing that had any hope of luring him out of the shadows.

"I'll do it." Elena's statement quelled any more protests from Stefan. Her eyes were on Damon. He gave her a curt nod and they set off without another word, Stefan following slightly reluctantly.

* * *

Elena entered the dance with Stefan and Damon either side of her. It was rather like having two bodyguards- two rather hostile bodyguards who threw each other venomous looks every now and then. Her eyes swept the dancefloor. She could see Bonnie and Caroline dancing and on the other side of the room, she spied Alaric Saltzman. Damon froze at the sight of the latter.

"Elena?" Stefan asked, turning towards her. Elena nodded and headed over towards Bonnie and Caroline, who were wending their way towards the punchbowl. Stefan and Damon were going to scout the room for anybody who didn't fit who might head towards her. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Jenna had approached Alaric and she felt a smile touch her lips.

"Having fun?" She asked her two friends as she approached.

"No, but this took two hours so I'm staying at least half of that." Caroline stated, and Elena laughed, but Bonnie seemed distracted.

"What's Damon doing here?" Bonnie asked sharply. Elena glanced back towards the two Salvatore's, who were standing silently side by side, looking equally handsome and mysterious at that moment. Elena turned back to the two girls.

"He wanted to come. I promise he'll behave."

"So is this like a threesome now, you and the Salvatore brothers?" Caroline asked. Elena's stomach twisted a little uncomfortably, thinking about their convoluted relationship with Katherine in this respect one day in the past.

"No, Stefan and Damon are both my friends and I think it's good for them to try to get along better." This was weak but at least it made sense if you didn't know much about their history.

"You mean Stefan has to try and tolerate Damon." Caroline responded, watching the two.

"Well it's not like he can kill him." Elena joked feebly.

"There's a thought," Said Bonnie, watching Damon with unadulterated dislike etched on her pretty face.

"I'll help." Caroline said, and the two girls chinked glasses. Elena smiled in spite of herself- both of them had reason to dislike Damon, after all. She looked around the room and as she did so her eyes fell on Jeremy, talking to a small girl with dark hair. She supposed this must be Anna, whom he'd mentioned a couple of times now. He certainly seemed happier these days and had even gotten an A on his History assignment, which Anna had helped research. Elena drifted off to the side, trying to spot any signs of someone watching her. By the time she had decided that nothing was amiss so far, she turned to see Caroline and Bonnie storming away from Damon.

"Where did they go?" Elena asked him.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged, looking a little annoyed.

"What did you say to them?" Stefan questioned.

"I was perfectly polite," Damon gave Elena a look then, and she knew he had been trying to butter Bonnie up to ask about Emily's grimoire. Something told her that if she wouldn't open up about it to Elena then the nice tactic definitely wasn't going to work coming from Damon. Stefan simply looked sceptical at Damon's assertion, and the latter looked at her: "Elena… would you like to dance?"

"I would love to." She accepted his hand and he pulled her onto the dancefloor, twirling her as they went, never missing a turn or a step as he caught her in his arms and began to sway them both in time to the music. Elena placed her hands on his shoulders and his slid down to her waist. She tried to ignore the glares they were receiving from Stefan.

"So, any sign of him?" Elena asked Damon quietly.

"Nope," Damon sighed.

"Shouldn't you guys be able to sense each other?" She had wondered for a while about the bat association with vampires. Was there some sort of sonar?

"I wish it worked like that. Would be easier," His eyes swept the room again but then he looked down at her, eyes glittering: "Just humour me for a minute. Imagine this was really the 1950s."

"What were you like back then?" Elena asked him, smiling brightly, "I bet you were the archetype Rebel Without A Cause guy." Damon smiled back but she saw something like a shadow cross his face.

"Honestly, the '50s kind of sucked for me," Damon admitted, "It'd be nice if dances like these were all there was to it. You know, instead of the red scare and arms race and segregation…" Elena took a moment to respond; sometimes she forgot how very long 145 years actually was. A lot had happened during Damon's lifetime which he had watched change.

"Where were you in the 50s?" She asked him. His smile flickered and died.

"Oh, I was busy." He shrugged. Elena was surveying his expression closely. She had never really asked him anything about his life after Katherine. In her mind, he jumped from being a newly turned vampire mourning the loss of a woman he'd loved to the Damon who had found her out on the road in Mystic Falls.

"1951?" She questioned daringly, and he smiled again.

"Paris," He allowed her the answer.

"52?"

"California." He twirled her around on this word, and Elena saw him continuing to scan the room.

"53?" She asked as he drew her back in to him. His grip tightened on her waist.

"I was here… for a time." He looked back down at her, "I just need to, uh, attend to something. Go put my brother out of his misery for a bit." Taken aback, Elena drifted towards Stefan, watching Damon approaching, of all people, Alaric Saltzman.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Damon asked in an undertone as he stood beside the History teacher, facing out towards the dancefloor.

"Aren't you?" Alaric retorted.

"Touché," Damon agreed nonchalantly. Humans often went with the 'dead' jibes, thinking it'd upset a vampire.

"So you're Stefan's brother, I hear. He's smart, not that I've had much chance to see it," Alaric added coldly. Damon shrugged.

"His attendance is spotty. We've had family drama, as you can imagine." Damon was itching to know how Alaric was able to stand before him when only a week ago he had cut his throat. There was no natural way the man could be alive, but Damon could hear his heart and smell his blood. He was human, no doubt about it, and very much alive.

"You must be close, it being just the two of you," Damon didn't like this implication. Although Stefan was hardly his favourite person these days he didn't want his brother's name ruined just because of things he had done.

"We don't actually get on very well at all. Don't see eye to eye." Alaric nodded, looking over towards Stefan and Elena, who were stood talking.

"I can imagine it's damaging to a brotherly relationship when a girl gets between you." Damon turned. He could feel his fangs in his mouth. Alaric gave him a look. "You want to get that ugly look under control if you don't want me to have a reason to stake you right here in front of all these kids." Damon took a deep breath, calming down.

"How are you alive?" Damon repeated his earlier question. Alaric just shrugged.

"The world is full of mysterious things, isn't it?" He patted Damon's arm as he left him, heading over back towards Elena's aunt Jenna. Seething, Damon looked away from Alaric's retreating back and glanced back towards where he had seen Elena and Stefan dancing. Elena was gone, but he saw Stefan following a boy in a hoodie, just like Elena had described. By the time Damon reached them in the corridor, Stefan had him slammed up against the lockers.

"…I was getting a soda, and then this guy gave me his hoodie." The boy was saying. His face was strangely devoid of expression and Damon realised he'd been compelled. He put his hand on Stefan's shoulder and his brother released him. Damon focused on him now.

"Forget this. Walk away." The boy left and Damon glared at Stefan, "You left Elena alone, idiot."

"I told her to get you. Where is she?"

"No idea, genius, but we have to find her. _Now_."

With no sign of Elena in the gym, the pair of them whooshed through empty corridors. Damon was listening hard for any sound of a struggle. Finally, he heard something and he and Stefan raced towards the cafeteria. They arrived in time to see Elena stabbing the vampire through the hand with a pencil, before almost tripping over a mop bucket as she backed away. Damon felt a little pride when she broke the mop to make a stake, but panicked when the vampire managed to grab her and stop her from using it. He was going for her neck. Elena screamed, and Stefan was across the room faster than anyone could blink. He grabbed the guy from behind, pulling him bodily away from Elena and throwing him to the ground.

"Hey, dickhead," Damon called, producing a stake he had brought along for just such an occasion, "Nobody wants to kill you, we just wanna talk." The first part was a lie, but he did need information. The vampire smiled but turned back to rush towards Elena. Damon threw the stake to Stefan, who caught it and stabbed him through the stomach. He groaned and fell to his knees in pain.

"Now you feel like talking?" Stefan asked. Damon had to admit, Stefan had always been better at the torture part than he was. Damon's anger drove him to simply killing people who angered him. Stefan could be much crueller in a sense, enjoying making them suffer; it did often get better results, though.

"Screw you," The vampire moaned. Stefan jammed the stake in a little deeper, causing him to moan even more with pain.

"Wrong answer," Said Stefan, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's fun." The vampire snapped. Stefan responded by sinking the stake in even further. In a moment it would be coming out through the guy's back. Damon had made his way over to them now and he stopped by Elena, who was shaking a little. He subtly took her hand for a moment, squeezing it. She squeezed it back and he knew then that she'd be fine, so he let go.

"What do you want with Elena?" Stefan demanded.

"She looks like Katherine." That brought Damon's attention back. He, Stefan and Elena all exchanged shocked expressions. Who was this guy?

"You knew Katherine?" If he knew anything then Damon was going to make sure that he told them before he died.

"You thought you were the only ones," The vampire laughed, hissing through the pain as he did so. Damon frowned, looking down into his face. He was ordinary looking, not very memorable, but there was something… a lingering memory of Mystic Falls a long time ago, and the original Sheriff Forbes. The name came back to him then.

"Noah, wasn't it?" He recalled. The vampire looked surprised, but confirmed in so doing that he was the same guy Damon remembered. He hadn't been aware the police deputy had known Katherine though. There was something strange about this. "Tell me how to get into the tomb."

"No," Noah refused, and Stefan jammed the stake in harder. He whimpered.

"The grimoire," Damon rolled his eyes. Everybody knew that part of it by now. He looked at Elena, but she was watching Noah, a small frown on her face.

"Where is it?" Damon asked him.

"Check the journal," Noah gasped. Stefan seemed to be really enjoying inflicting pain at that moment, "The journal…" This was punctuated again by the stake being twisted painfully, "Jonathon's journal. Jonathon Gilbert's." Elena bristled a little at the name, but Damon allowed himself a smirk of satisfaction. There were noises coming from outside the cafeteria now, and Stefan glanced over towards the door.

"Who else is working with you?" His brother demanded.

"Who else?" Damon repeated, when Noah didn't reply.

"No. You're gonna have to kill me." Damon sighed, looking at Stefan. The latter gave him an inquiring look and Damon nodded. Stefan removed the stake from Noah's stomach, then stabbed it back through his heart. Elena flinched on impact and they stood to watch him dry out and turn grey, truly dead as he had requested.

* * *

 **A/N: So this was quite a long chapter, thank you for reading if you've made it this far! Please leave me a little feedback! I'm going to keep writing anyway but reviews really help encourage me! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, including the guest who always leaves me such lovely words of encouragement even if you don't leave a name!**


	25. A Day With Damon

**A/N: I just wanted to say before you start reading that I've been told nobody minds longer chapters. Also given that if you are still reading twenty-five chapters in then chances are you're enjoying it, so this chapter and probably subsequent chapters may be considerably longer than previously in this story. If it gets too boring or blocky let me know and I'll chop them up a bit again. I'm not going to make it seem unnaturally long just for the sake of it though so hopefully that is reassuring? Anyway enough babbling from me, here it is!**

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: A Day With Damon**

"Did you know about needing the grimoire to open the tomb?" Stefan asked Elena. The next day had dawned grey but bright with the ring of her cell-phone before she'd even left her bed. Stefan wanted answers.

"Yes, I knew," Elena replied tiredly. Stefan wasn't satisfied with this.

"Elena, if Damon has somehow convinced you to help him then, I beg you, listen to me: don't. No good will come of getting Katherine out of that tomb, and we can't even guarantee that the journal is actually going to help. That Noah guy was no genius." Elena didn't know how to respond to that. She had promised she would help Damon get Katherine back, even if deep down she would rather not see her supposed doppelganger walk away with Damon.

"Damon didn't have to convince me of anything," Elena glanced to her left, where Damon was sat on top of her bed covers, listening to every word of the conversation.

"Elena, I just need to know how involved you are with this," Stefan insisted.

"I'm _not_ involved. He told me about the grimoire before, that's all." She heard him breathe a small sigh of relief. After they had said their goodbyes and hung up, Elena turned to Damon. She was a little surprised at herself for how comfortable she felt around him now. Even so, at that moment he didn't look happy.

"My brother would have you double cross me given the chance," He said viciously, "It's no wonder I have trust issues. I don't suppose you blame him, though, really."

"Damon, I'm not exactly excited to let Katherine and potentially a whole bunch of other starving vampires out, but I know you need her out… to have your chance at happiness, or at least answers. I told you I'd help you and I'm sticking to that. I'll look for the journal today." His irritable expression softened when she said this and he even looked a bit guilty for snapping at her. To make up for it, he surprised her by rolling on top of her, their bodies separated by her duvet, pinning her wrists together above her head with one hand and using the other to hold most of his weight off of her.  
"What are you doing?" She asked, giggling as she tried to escape.

"Saying sorry," He replied, kissing her on the forehead.

"What for?" Elena asked, but shrieked when he scooped her up at vamp speed, tossing the covers aside and pulling her so that she was on top of him instead.

"For almost getting you killed. Again." He added, his bright blue eyes shining gleefully, "And for making you lie to Stefan. I know you hate doing it, so… thank you." Elena looked down at him. His dark hair was falling a little into his eyes and she moved it aside. He made no move to stop her touching him and so she took advantage, trailing her hand along his jawline and down his neck to his chest, stopping over where his heart was. She could feel it beating beneath her hand.

"I do have one," Damon joked, but he said this softly, watching her. She was suddenly aware that she was straddling him. It hadn't seemed sexual in any way to her before, but there was a subtle change in the atmosphere then. On cue, Damon moved his hand to her thigh, which was bare except for the shorts she slept in. He trailed his fingers across her skin, causing Elena to shiver pleasantly. Her own breathing seemed loud to her ears and she wondered when he would pull away, like he had when they had gotten overtly close before. But he didn't. Damon sat up so that his face was mere inches from hers, and so his breath washed over her face.

"Elena, quit looking at me like that," Damon told her in a quiet murmur, "You will regret this."

"Regret what?" She asked him. In the back of her mind, the part able to still think clearly even when he was that close, was aware that this moment had arrived out of nowhere. Before this, they had only kissed twice and one of those times they had been drunk. They had never even talked about either incident, and although she had feelings for him…

"Elena." Damon placed his hands on her arms and gently lifted her, plonking her back down on the bed beside him. There was a loaded, heavy pause as Elena returned to her senses, barely able to believe what she had come so close to doing. She heard Damon huff out a breath beside her. "We need to find this journal."

And so they set about their first task of the day. Elena retrieved a box of old family heirlooms from the attack. Mostly it was old letters and photos dating back over the generations of Gilbert's.  
"Find anything out about your birth mother?" Damon asked her, surprisingly nonchalant now that they were in the kitchen rather than her bedroom.

"Only that she was a teenager named Isobel, and that she took off a few days after I was born," Elena replied. Even with everything else that had been going on she hadn't been able to think about much else. What had happened to Isobel after she left? Where was she now?

"Hm," Damon hummed ominously. Elena looked up at him, a photograph in her hands.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. What's that?" He asked, pointing to the photo. Elena looked down at it. It was a man with dark hair and a beard. There was no date written on the back and so she shrugged and showed it to Damon. "That's Johnathon Gilbert," He recognised. Elena looked back into the box. Underneath the photo there was a smaller, wooden box. Elena took it out and opened it up. The first thing inside that she removed appeared to be a muzzle of some kind.

"What is all this stuff?" Elena said out loud, curiously. Damon's eyes lingered on the muzzle but he didn't say anything. Seconds later, Jeremy entered. He looked a little taken-aback to see Damon but he didn't question Elena's choice of company.

"What are you guys doing?" Jeremy asked, taking a seat the kitchen counter.

"I was feeling sentimental and decided to go through some old stuff. Dad kept this family journal from years ago and I was wondering if I could dig it up," Elena replied to her brother.

"Johnathon Gilbert's journal?" Jeremy said, and Damon's head snapped up to look at him immediately.

"Yeah, that was it. What do you know about it?" Elena inquired, doing a better job of masking her interest.

"I used it for my history report on Mystic Falls' supposed supernatural history." Damon's eyes narrowed a little at this. Elena stomped on his foot to get him to snap out of this mood; she knew it didn't hurt him at all but it seemed to bring him back to where they actually were.

"That was for school?" He questioned, "Anything interesting in there?"

"Nah, I mean none of that stuff is real, obviously. I think the guy just liked to write and ended up believing his own stories," Jeremy laughed, shrugging.

"Where is the journal now, Jer?" Elena wanted to know. She could feel her heart pounding with anticipation, but was a little shocked at the answer she got:

"I gave it to Mr Saltzman. He wanted to see it."

Elena dragged Damon out of the house soon after. He looked as if he'd quite like to snap somebody's neck and she would rather the victim of his rage wasn't her innocent younger brother. Damon stormed over to her car and waited impatiently for her to catch up. As soon as the door was unlocked he jumped in. Elena started the engine and they set off.

"That guy just keeps cropping up everywhere," Damon growled, "First he's some kind of vampire hunter, second of all he refuses to die, then I had to chase him away from the cafeteria last night. Now it turns out he has the freaking journal." He thumped his fist against the dashboard. Elena looked out of the corner of her eye to check he hadn't left a dent in her new car.

"Mr Saltzman seems nice." She stated, "He killed Logan and besides, he hasn't told anybody your secret." Damon's jaw set but his more overt annoyed habits stopped as he mulled what she had said over. Finally, he nodded.

"He hasn't told, you're right. But what does he want with the journal?" Glad he seemed to be calmer now, Elena shrugged.

"I don't know, but we'll get it back off of him." Elena was convinced that nobody else could possibly know about the tomb beneath the old church yet. She only hoped that he hadn't reached that part of Johnathon Gilbert's journal thus far. Was that why Alaric wanted the journal, or was he just interested in the supernatural history of Mystic Falls like he told Jeremy? They stopped outside the Grill. They knew that Alaric frequented the place now. Damon got out and checked, then came back to confirm Alaric was indeed in there.

"He'll never hand me the journal. You'll have to do it." He told her bluntly. Elena nodded. "Just remember, it's a family heirloom and so forth."

"Damon, it'll be fine," Elena responded firmly, then left him in the car to head into the Grill. She grinned at Matt as she entered as he cleared a table nearby, but she had already spotted Alaric sat on a stool up by the bar. Steeling herself, she walked forward.

"Hi, Mr Saltzman," Elena said brightly. Alaric seemed to take a moment to register she'd even spoken. He looked up from his drink.

"Oh hey, Elena, how's it going? You know I'm sure I told you all on my first day to just call me Rick," He added, and Elena realised that Alaric wasn't completely sober, despite it being early Sunday afternoon.

"Sorry, Rick," She grinned, "I was just passing through and Jeremy told me you still had Johnathon Gilbert's journal. I was wondering whether you were done with it, only Jeremy's talking about it kinda piqued my interest." Elena sincerely hoped she sounded casual enough, but she had been aware all along of a massive flaw in their plan: she had been seen far too many times in the company of the Salvatore brothers. Alaric knew what they were and he was unlikely to want to hand over anything that she might want to use to help vampires- especially if he found out about the ones in the tomb that they might accidentally set free.

"I didn't think you enjoyed history that much," Alaric noted.

"Oh, well… not really, but it's family history. It was important to my Dad and I thought…" She trailed off, looking down at her feet, trying to look sad. It wasn't exactly a lie; her father had always tried to capture her and Jer's interest in the Gilbert family's history, but Elena wasn't exactly in the mood for pleasing her late father at that moment given that he had lied to her. She glanced up through her eyelashes and was surprised to see Alaric looking guilty.

"Elena, I'm sorry," He sighed, "The journal went missing."

"What?" Her heart was in her throat.

"It was on my desk this morning and then it wasn't." Elena frowned. If Alaric was telling her this, he must have determined that she didn't know who'd stolen it.

"Oh…" Elena swallowed. Damon was not going to be pleased at this news. She wasn't sure if he could hear from outside but she didn't want to take the chance.

"I did manage to make a copy before it disappeared," Alaric told her this in a very low voice, apparently thinking along the same lines she was. Without thinking, Elena grabbed his arm in relief, though it was also tainted by panic now because she had no idea who had the original journal, "I'll give it you in class."

"This is a bad idea." Damon had driven Elena all around the town until night had fallen. Tomorrow was too late in his book, especially now the original journal had gone walkabouts. They would have to break into Alaric's place and take the copy now. Elena, obviously, didn't like this plan. "What if we get caught?" She asked.

"We won't," Damon rolled his eyes. They had parked under cover of some trees not far from Alaric's place. Luckily it was such a small town that it was not hard to find out where somebody lived. Elena had shut off the engine and was sitting with her arms folded, looking anxious. Damon leaned over to her and turned her face gently so that she was looking at him, " _We won't_ ," He repeated. She sighed, but nodded. Alaric had not returned from the Grill yet. He would likely be very drunk when he did.

"Jenna was telling me his wife died. They never found out what'd happened to her, because they never found her body," Elena said, "It's sad that he's just… alone." Alaric's wife had been called Isobel. By pure coincidence- or at least, Damon told himself it had to be coincidence- Elena's birth mother went by the same name. But it was a common name, that didn't mean anything. Isobel was just some crazy parapsychologist who asked him to turn her. That was all he knew or cared about. Still, Damon knew what it was like to have the one person you loved go from your life- he had lost Katherine.

"How do you do this?" He moaned to Elena, rubbing his eyes.

"What?" She asked, non-plussed.

"You manage to make me feel guilty for every bad thing I've ever done just by… being _you_. Ugh."

"Well you're about to add breaking and entering to your list of bad things," Elena reminded him. Damon laughed, stepping out of the car then zipping over to open her side.

"That's cute," He told her, "You think this is my first time."

Things in Alaric's place went as smoothly as they could have hoped. Elena touched nothing and Damon found the photocopy of the Gilbert journal sitting nearly on top of Alaric's otherwise cluttered desk. This seemed reckless to him given that he'd somehow lost the original mere hours before. Still, it helped make his job easier and so he took the copy and they snuck back out. Fleeing back to Elena's car, Damon immediately began shuffling eagerly through the pages. It was a while before he found a direct reference to the tomb, but as he began to read he got a very bad, very uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He turned to Elena.

"Who else knows about this journal?" His voice sounded cold and dangerous even to his own ears, "Did Jeremy show anyone other than Alaric Saltzman?"

"I don't know, I…" Elena began.

"Find out!" She shrinked away from him, looking frightened, and Damon caught sight of his reflection in the rear-view mirror. The veins around his eyes had come to the surface and were standing out aggressively against his pale skin; he looked like the monster he was. Elena was fumbling with her phone and he grabbed it off her. He flipped through the numbers and pressed call on Jeremy's name. The younger Gilbert picked up after a few rings.

"Hey Elena," He greeted who he thought was his sister quite cheerfully, "How's your day with Damon?"

"Hello, Jeremy," Damon said.

"Oh," Jeremy paused, "Hey man, what's up?" Elena was looking at Damon apprehensively.

"I need you to think about this question very, very carefully," Damon told him slowly and clearly, "Did you tell anyone other than Mr Saltzman about Johnathon Gilbert's journal?" Why hadn't he asked this question earlier, Damon wondered?

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?" Jeremy asked, sounding a little exasperated. This only shortened Damon's limited temper even more.

"Who else did you show it to?" He compelled down the phone line.

"Only Anna," Jeremy replied, his voice automatic and monotonous.

"Who?"

"She's just this weird girl… I mean, I met her at the library and she helped me out with my essay. She's home schooled so I don't know her that well but she likes to hang out sometimes. She wanted to meet me at the Grill tonight." Damon had a quick decision to make; this Anna person was a previous unknown. She'd be more likely to spill the beans to Jeremy, but if this was the situation he thought it was, Elena would not appreciate him putting her brother into harm's way.

"Stay home tonight. Do not go to the Grill. Do not let anybody in your house and don't answer any calls from Anna. Do you understand?" Damon was compelling him again, and he was satisfied when Jeremy repeated his instructions blankly back to him before they hung up. Elena was staring at Damon, appearing desperate to know what was going on. He looked at her.

"I know where the grimoire is, but I think somebody else does too," He told her.

"Who?" Elena asked nervously.

"I have no idea, but I would put all my money on it being the wrong person."

Elena and Damon looked at each other, both silently debating what their next move should be. Elena was in favour of going straight to wherever the grimoire was to dig it up before anybody else could find out the secrets surrounding the tomb vampires, but something told her that Damon would see Anna as an obstacle. He didn't want anybody else knowing about the tomb vampires. However, Elena had also learned a little something in her time of hanging around with Damon and Stefan and it was that sometimes, doing is better than thinking. And so, bravely, she made up their minds.

"Let's go and get the grimoire." She started up the engine and Damon didn't stop her as she began driving again. "Where is it?" She asked him a moment later.

"In my father's grave," Of course it was. There was no way that a witch's spellbook giving details on how to trap and free vampires could be kept anywhere less creepy than in somebody's grave. But the cemetery was quite a long drive away, right across town, and Elena decided that the drive would be a good time to think.

"Tell me about your father," She said. Damon's hands balled into fists on his knees.

"What is there to say? He didn't have a lot of time for me. It was always all about Stefan." He sounded surprisingly bitter about something which happened so long ago.

"How did he die?" She asked him instead.

"Stefan killed him," Damon replied casually, and Elena gasped: "Oh yes, the White Knight Stefan's record isn't as clean as you might think. I can't blame him so much though. Stefan was in transition and father was bleeding. He lost control and drank his blood."

"And he became a vampire," Elena couldn't imagine ever wanting to feed off her own family, even if she knew she was going to die otherwise. Sometimes she was really grateful to be human because having to struggle with urges to kill people she loved all the time would pain her. She had no idea how anybody could live with it.

"In all fairness, our father killed him. Well, me too. He shot us both dead when he found out we'd been trying to help Katherine and the other vampires escape." Elena's mouth actually dropped open at this news, "Katherine had been giving us her blood for a while though. She knew the town was getting closer to finding them all."

"So you wanted to become a vampire?"

"I thought it would mean that Katherine and I would be together forever," Damon laughed bitterly, "Stefan was compelled to drink though." Elena mulled this over in silence. She wondered what she would do if the Founders Council were to come closer to uncovering Stefan and Damon as vampires and that she'd been helping keep their secret. Would she willingly drink their blood to survive and risked being turned?

They pulled up at the cemetery a short time afterwards. Elena checked her phone before getting out of the car. Nobody had called, but it was getting late and so she texted Jenna: ' _I'm staying over at Bonnie's tonight, don't wait up x'_ She only hoped that Jeremy wouldn't rat on her, though she doubted that he would.

The old cemetery gates were locked at this time of night. Damon told her to close her eyes and hold on, which she did, as he took her by the waist. Elena felt a strange soaring sensation a moment later and opened her eyes to find that she and Damon appeared to be flying through the air. A second later, they landed the other side of the gate, Damon holding her weight off the ground for a second so that she didn't feel so much as a jolt. His hands stayed on her waist for a second and he looked into her eyes.

"You can still back out," He told her. At this stage, Elena was doing more than just helping Damon. She was curious- about the grimoire and even about Katherine. She wanted to know about this woman she looked so much alike, and she wanted to know more about Damon and Stefan's history with her. Even though it went against her morals to risk freeing so many hungry vampires in the process, Elena could feel the guilt slipping away the deeper she became involved. Part of her wondered what was happening to her.

"No, Damon," Elena insisted in answer, "I'm coming with you." She watched as the frown lines on his forehead smoothed when she said this. He took her hand, much to her surprise, as he began to lead her into the cemetery proper.

"I don't deserve a friend like you, Elena." Her heart stuttered on the word 'friend'.


	26. Being Gone

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Being Gone**

"The Salvatore plot isn't too far from the Gilbert one, is it?" Elena asked him.

"My father wasn't buried in there. It hadn't even been built then." Damon stopped their progress through the graves, "I haven't visited my parents' graves since… well, I've never visited my father's at all. I know he's buried beside my mother." He finally recalled the direction they need to go in and he continued their strides.

"How did your mother die?" She almost sounded afraid to hear the answer. Damon could hardly blame her, after he'd told her the cheerful story of how, basically, his father, himself and Stefan had all killed each other.

"Consumption," Damon shrugged, "You know, tuberculosis."

"A normal, natural death," Elena mused, "That shocks me more than it should." Damon laughed. Her hand felt very warm in his, and he realised he hadn't fed all day so his body temperature was cooling down. He was finding that he and Elena made a good team; she did her part without flinching even when she clearly thought what they were doing was wrong, and she didn't err once. He was grateful for that.

The positive feeling of gratitude left him when they arrived at Giuseppe Salvatore's grave though. Stefan was already there, and the grave was open. He'd obviously been digging for some time, though he put his shovel down when he heard them approach:  
"Oh good, you made it," Stefan smirked.

"What the hell are you doing here, brother?" Damon demanded dangerously.

"Well, I didn't have you down as a liar, Elena," Stefan flung at her, "I helpfully ran into an old friend this morning, who informed me our History teacher had the journal. The journal told me everything I had to know and… well, here we are."

"Stefan," Elena said, "Why?"

"What old friend?" Damon demanded angrily.

"I can't let you have the grimoire, Damon. We can't set all those vampires free, least of all Katherine Pierce." Stefan didn't say this in a nasty way, just bluntly. Damon could have ripped his head off all the same. "And as for what old friend, I think you'll find she's someone who Jeremy knows too." Damon thought about it for a moment and suddenly it made sense. The only other person who had asked about the journal had been Anna. Did he know an Anna? He scanned his memory quickly, back to the days before he was a vampire. Human memories could become somewhat hazy over time when you didn't examine them, but he recalled something. Katherine's friend, Pearl, and her daughter…

"Annabelle." The girl had been quiet and did what her mother told her back in the old days. Damon had never given her much more than a single glance, having been too entranced by Katherine, but she had been pretty. He had assumed the Founders had killed her before they imprisoned the rest of the vampires, but he supposed she must have escaped. Pearl hadn't been so lucky; she'd been caught and shut up under Fell's Church along with Katherine.

"Stefan, why didn't you tell me you were going to do this?" Elena asked him weakly. Stefan looked at her, his expression inscrutable.

"Elena, I'm sorry, but you're working with him. I can't help you if you can't see why that changes things between us." Elena looked like she'd been slapped.

"Don't blame her," Damon protested, "It's not like she's been forced to be here or whatever."

"I know, and that makes it worse because it means she actually wants to help you open this tomb. Elena, I thought you cared more about this town than that?" Damon saw Elena steel herself.

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure it's only Katherine that gets out of that tomb, Stefan. Of course I don't want them to get out and- and… of _course_ I don't," She was close to tears. He wished he hadn't let go of her hand then, but he also was glad that Stefan hadn't gotten to see that. "Stefan, she owes you both answers after all this time! She broke both of your hearts, even if it wasn't real! I know that affected you just as much as it did Damon!" Elena hurried over to Stefan then, looking up at him imploringly, "When she's out, you can find out if she really compelled you both, and if not then what… who she wants to be with. And then, she can leave town and everything will be fine, Stefan. I'll get Bonnie to seal the tomb back up somehow and that'll be the last we ever have to hear of all of this. Just please, Stefan, give us the grimoire."

Stefan lifted his hand and grazed the bottom of her chin with his palm. Damon saw her shiver and he felt a little twinge of jealousy, though it was unwarranted, especially during a dispute about Katherine and who she truly loved, of all things.  
"Damon will leave with Katherine," Stefan told her softly, "What then, Elena?"

* * *

"Then he leaves. That's it." Her hand closed on Stefan's and she removed it from her face. She was staring up at Stefan. When he touched her, she had a strange feeling, almost like the universe had planned that moment for a thousand years. She shook it off though; now wasn't the time.

"And that wouldn't bother you, if he was gone?" Stefan asked her.

"He just wants to be with the person he loves. How can you think that's so wrong?" Elena intentionally touched a nerve, though it killed her to do it. Her loyalty to Damon overwhelmed her sense of not wanting to hurt Stefan's feelings then. She saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes even as the words left her mouth and she knew that he realised she was talking about himself with her. Stefan looked over her head at his brother. Damon hadn't moved an inch since she'd departed his side.

"Do you remember the night they took Katherine?" Damon asked his brother, "From that moment I stopped trusting you. Why do you think I didn't tell you about the grimoire? I _knew_ you'd try to stop me getting it."

"Because, Damon, this is insane! Katherine Pierce is _not_ worth the trouble opening this tomb is going to cause- or the trouble it's already caused!" Stefan was exasperated now.

"She's worth every bit of this." Elena looked down at her feet, unable to look at either Salvatore brother now. Somehow, she had thought this day meant something- helping Damon, even when he took her hand to come here- she'd thought it was important. But now suddenly it all seemed meaningless against the background of Stefan and Damon's almost irreparable relationship. Family was supposed to mean more than just a girl, but to them, even over a century later, Katherine was worth more than anything else. She couldn't imagine anything meaning more to her than Jenna or Jeremy now, especially not since she'd lost her parents… Jeremy… that was it. That was the way through!

"Stefan, why is Anna looking for the grimoire?" Elena asked suddenly.

"Her mother is in that tomb." Stefan frowned at her then.

"So, even if Damon doesn't open the tomb, she's going to try." The night air seemed to become very still and silent all of a sudden. "And is she going to be as keen to stop the other vampires getting out?"

"Elena…" Stefan looked as if he'd been winded with this revelation. Obviously it hadn't occurred to him that Anna might somehow get the tomb open anyway, "We burn Emily's grimoire. She doesn't even have a witch to perform the spell…"

"Bonnie is hardly a willing participant anyway, Stefan," Elena pointed out, "She won't want to help him. But I'd rather that if we do somehow convince her to help, she'd be doing it with the best intentions and not with anybody who'd happily unleash all those vampires on the town." Elena had him there. She could sense victory in the offing and she realised Damon could too, because he was suddenly beside her, the whisper of the air as he sped over almost audible. Stefan swallowed, obviously weighing his options. He looked at Damon.

"You swear you'll do everything to stop the others getting out?" Stefan asked him.

"I swear," Damon agreed, though his voice was sharp and hurried.

"And you'll leave town afterwards?"

"I'll leave," Elena's stomach turned over when he agreed to this but she said nothing.

"Then… fine. I'll give you the grimoire- hell, I'll help you." Stefan told his brother. Damon cocked his head to the side.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Elena looked at the elder brother then and, sensing her movement, he looked down at her.

"You trust me, don't you?" She asked him, and he nodded. Elena returned the nod and looked back at Stefan, "Then we are going to do this together."

* * *

Damon was not completely comfortable with this new coalition with his brother, but he had to admire Elena's handy-work. Somehow, she'd landed him on the same team as his brother for the first time in almost one hundred years. He had a feeling that the lack of trust between himself and his brother had jolted her heartstrings a little and that she probably had an ulterior motive to wanting them to get along. He didn't know if he and Stefan's brotherly relationship was reparable, but he did know one thing: if Stefan did help him get Katherine back, his 'eternity of misery' which Damon had long promised him would come to an early end. He wasn't interested in hating his brother any more than he had to. Leaving Elena behind would, he admitted to himself as he jumped down into his father's empty grave, be hard, but he supposed he wouldn't care once Katherine was there. Besides, he could switch his humanity back off and live a quiet life if he needed to.

His father had been buried with the grimoire clutched in his arms. His skeleton was all that remained, but the book still sat on his chest. It had a light beige leather cover and was fragile. He jumped out of the grave and looked at Stefan and Elena. The latter's eyes were on the book, while Stefan was gazing off in another direction.

"This is it," He said unnecessarily, "Now all we need is the Bennett witch to do the spell." Elena smiled but he could tell it was false. He reached out to her, wanting to reassure her in some way, but then Stefan spoke:

"We need to rebury Father. It's going to be obvious to the Founder's Council that something's up when they realise that somebody dug Giuseppe Salvatore up." And so, he and Damon took up shovels and set about the task of reinterring their father. Damon handed the grimoire to Elena, who seemed reluctant to open it, though she held onto it tightly. The physical work freed up his mind and he found himself reminiscing about the man who had once surrounded these bones. His father, as he'd told Elena, had never had a lot of time for him. Damon had been a source of disappointment to him and good for only one thing- to fight and die in a brutal war for a cause he despised, so that Giuseppe would finally be able to say his son did something worthy with his life. Worst of all, Damon had committed the sin of looking like his mother, and from the day she died his father had barely been able to look at him.

Both he and Stefan were so deep in thought that they missed something. Damon didn't know what made him look around, but look around he did. Elena was gone.

Elena woke up, her head thumping, to find herself in an unfamiliar room. The last thing she remembered was watching Damon and Stefan rebury their father, while she had been holding the grimoire. Now, the grimoire was gone and she had no idea where she was, though some light breathing alerted her to the fact that somebody else was in the room. Looking at the end of the bed, she saw, of all people, Ben McKittrick asleep in a chair. She realised she was in a cheap motel room of some description. She also realised that she must have been kidnapped. Whoever had done it had knocked her unconscious when they'd taken her, hence why she didn't remember getting here. And the only beings capable of such a slick manoeuvre were vampires… which meant that Ben had to be a vampire.

Elena looked from Ben to the door and back, estimating the distance. If she moved quickly and quietly, she might be able to get out without waking him. Silently, she got off the bed. Ben's leg was stretched out inconveniently in her path, and, breath held, she stepped over it, swinging around so that she kept him in sight as she backed stealthily towards the door. When she reached it, she slid the deadbolt across to unlock it, glancing back at Ben, who hadn't moved. Hardly daring to breathe, she turned the lock, heart pounding…

"I wouldn't." Elena span around. Ben was approaching her slowly, and she saw his pupils dilate.

"Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Do you understand?" Grateful more than ever to Stefan for her necklace, Elena answered in as monotonous a voice as she could:

"I understand." Ben laughed meanly and turned towards the mini fridge. He opened it and Elena had a quick glance at the contents: bottles of blood. Seizing her chance, Elena opened the door and made to sprint out of it as fast as she could, but before she could go very far she found herself face-to-face with a small, dark haired girl she'd glimpsed once before hanging out with Jeremy at the Decade Dance. Anna seized her by her hair and shoved her violently back into the motel room, slamming the door behind her.

"Seriously?" Anna fired at Ben, who looked confused.

"I told her not to move! I even did that eye thing you taught me!" Anna glared at him.

"And you forgot the lesson about vervain! She hangs out with vampires all the time, you idiot!" Anna grabbed Elena and shoved her up against the wall one-handed. Elena struggled against Anna's grip but she was no match for her; she ought to have known better, given how old Anna had to be. She had been told before that vampires grew stronger with age, and they were already stronger than any human.

"What do you want from me?" Elena cried.

"Does it matter?" Anna snapped.

"You have the grimoire, let me go!" Anna unlocked the bathroom door beside her.

"Just shut up and get in there." Anna threw Elena into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Elena heard the lock click and her back hit the door. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then flipped on the light and looked around. There _had_ to be another exit. There was a sink with a mirror above it, and a bathtub. Elena only glanced at these, though something drew her attention back to the bath.

"Bonnie!" Elena gasped, hurrying over to the bath. Bonnie was inside it, unconscious. She'd known Bonnie had been interested in Ben but they hadn't known he was a vampire. He must have lured her in with his flirting and then taken her, too, "Bonnie? Oh, my god !" Her friend wasn't waking up, though Elena could feel her pulse. She grabbed a face cloth from the sink and wet it, placing it on Bonnie's head, dabbing, trying to wake her gently. It took a while but it finally succeeded.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked groggily. Elena knelt down beside the tub. "I messed up. Ben is a…"

"Sssh!" Elena hushed her, pointing at her ear and then the door. "They can hear." She got up and turned the tap on in the sink to mask their conversation before bending back down beside Bonnie.

"I'm so stupid," Bonnie whispered, "He was nice to me after Damon was rude, and when he asked me on a date I was excited. I thought- I don't know…"

"Bonnie, he had us all fooled," Elena reassured her.

"What's going on? Why are we here?" Bonnie asked. Elena glanced towards the door, biting her lip.

"Anna's mother is one of the vampires in the tomb. Last night, Damon and I- and Stefan- got Emily's grimoire back and I had it and… well, that's it. They have the grimoire and they have a witch." Elena closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. Why had she ever agreed to help Damon with this suicide mission? This was all her fault! "Bonnie, I am so sorry, we never even knew who she was until last night." Just then, Ben burst into the room, switching off the taps. Bonnie looked over at him defiantly.

"I'm not going to help you, so don't waste your breath." Ben just laughed.

"Why would we keep her here otherwise? You need motivation to play nice. You're just so desperate you made it easy," Elena opened her mouth to say something but Ben grabbed her. Bonnie fumbled for her hand but Ben was too strong to resist. "She wants to talk to you." Ben expelled Elena into the main room again. Anna was waiting for her there.

* * *

"We need to get Elena back," Stefan said for the millionth time. Damon hadn't stopped pacing all night. At the moment, he had a blood bag in one hand and a tumbler of bourbon in the other.

"You don't think I know that?" Damon exploded, "We don't know where the bitch has taken her!"

"This is your fault, Damon," Stefan fixed him with a stoic look from his position on a couch, "You never should have involved Elena in all of this."

"Elena involved _herself_ in all of this," Damon growled, "It is not my fault that stupid Annabelle wants that tomb open. You know if anything, Anna is the one I would be siding with here if it wasn't for Elena, seeing as we want the same thing."

"Well, Anna has the grimoire and, seeing as Bonnie hasn't answered her phone since last night, I'd say she also probably has the witch."

"Well, fine, she opens the damn tomb, I see no reason to complain!" Damon squeezed the remaining blood from the bag into his mouth. It didn't really matter whether he opened the tomb or she did. In the end, what mattered was the fact that Katherine would soon be out if all went to plan. Except…

"You won't complain if and when she kills Elena?" Damon squeezed his glass so hard that it broke in his grip, sending bourbon and blood dripping over his hand and onto the carpet. Stefan raised an eyebrow at him and Damon dropped the pieces into the flames of the fire.

"Well if you're just gonna sit there and gloat about me screwing up then I'm going to be busy fixing this." He threw the empty blood bag down and stormed out of the boarding house. He was furious with himself for allowing Elena to be snatched out from under his nose and even worse, he was enraged at the fact that he had lost the grimoire almost from the moment he had found it. A hundred years of hard work undone. He jumped into his car and sped round to the house Bonnie's grandmother occupied.

Sheila Bennett had never trusted him. A powerful and knowledgeable witch, she had never been fooled by any of the usual vampire tricks and knew how to use her magic to protect herself from vampires. He had met her in the nineties and had been equally amazed and infuriated by the old southern woman who couldn't be shaken. Her price couldn't be bought for little. He knocked on the front door, and she opened it.

"Yes?" Her greeting wasn't exactly friendly.

"Hi there. I'm, uh, looking for Bonnie," He tried feebly.

"She's not here," Sheila made to close the door on him but he stopped her, "You got a nerve coming here to ask a Bennett witch for help. Spirits talk, Mr Salvatore, and so does my granddaughter. You are no friend to us."

"Fine, I won't tell you who has Bonnie then," Damon turned to walk away, but Sheila stopped him.

"What?" He turned back, with a smirk on his face.

"That's what you get for forming an opinion when you don't even know me. You lose out on information. Vampires can talk just as well as spirits." Sheila looked at him and suddenly pain ripped through Damon's head. Groaning, he grabbed it futilely to try and get it to stop. He dropped to his knees on the porch, gasping, until just as suddenly as it came, the pain went.

"You don't wanna mess with me. I am not Bonnie." He looked up at Sheila. She'd stepped outside of her house.

"You tell me what's happened to my granddaughter."

* * *

"Nobody I know wants to see Katherine Pierce again and believe me, you do not want to meet her," Anna was behaving quite casually as she spoke to Elena, "You know, it's seriously creepy how much you look like her." She gave Elena a most distasteful once-over with her dark eyes.

"Bonnie isn't going to open the tomb," Elena said for what felt like the millionth time since Ben had thrown her into this room with Anna.

"Oh, she will." Anna smiled somewhat sadistically, "Not to place too much on an emphasis on the dead mom bonding thing, but if you had a chance to bring your mother back I know you would. God knows so would Jeremy."

"Anna, you cannot let all of those starving vampires out. They'll kill the whole town!" Elena sighed.

"I only want my mother back. I don't care about the rest of them in there… or about the people in this town. They're all just descendants of the people who locked my mother away… including you." She gave Elena another dirty look.

"Actually, I'm adopted, not that anything someone's ancestors did makes them responsible." Elena snapped at Anna, who just laughed at her, then pulled Elena's phone out of her pocket, "Now, this is yours isn't it?" Elena made a grab for it but Anna pushed her to the floor, dancing out of her reach, "Let's see if the Salvatore's will fall over themselves for you like they did for Katherine. I wonder what they'd do to save you… convince Bonnie to do the spell?" Anna dialled a number and Elena heard Stefan's voice, though she couldn't pick out his words.

"She's fine. For now." Anna smirked at Elena across the room, "It occurs to me that I have everything you want- your girlfriend, your grimoire, your witch. Now, I happen to think it'd suit us all better to work together," She listened for a minute and laughed, "Yeah? Well, you can either work with me or the girlfriend is dead. Now, you or your brother had better meet me in the very public square in half an hour so we can safely discuss how fun it's going to be to work together." She hung up and put Elena's phone back in her pocket. "You behave yourself now, or you'll regret it. Ben?" Ben opened the bathroom door and led Bonnie out.

"What's happening?" He asked Anna as he shoved Bonnie onto the bed.

"I'm leaving. Keep them buttoned down. Compulsion won't work, just use violence." Anna slammed the door behind her and Elena and Bonnie looked at each other across the room. Thirty minutes meant they weren't far from home, and Ben wasn't very clever. Did they have a chance of escape before Anna got back?


	27. Heroes and Villains

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Heroes and Villains**

"So you're the key to this," Ben said to Bonnie, "Literally. You're the one who opens the door. Tell me, how long have you been a witch?" Bonnie stood tensely, giving him a stoic look but otherwise not answering. Elena swallowed, her mouth dry.

"Is there anything to drink here?" She asked Ben shortly.

"Are you offering?" He grinned cruelly at her, but then grudgingly said, "There's water on the nightstand." Elena made her way over to it, pouring herself a glass of water from a pitcher sat there. She raised it to her lips and sipped at it; it was room temperature and gross.

"Hey, can I have a sip?" Bonnie asked suddenly. Elena looked at her and dm, widened her eyes a bit, and Elena remembered what'd happened at the car wash. Understanding, Elena handed over the glass and steeled herself, ready. Bonnie took the glass and quickly threw it over Ben. As it splashed out at him, the water turned into flame. Ben yelled as his arm caught fire, but Elena and Bonnie were already halfway across the room as he tried to pat the flames down. Bonnie reached the door first and opened it, running out, but before Elena could follow her, Ben grabbed her from behind and hauled her back into the room, his still smouldering arm around her throat.

"Come back in! Shut the door!" He shouted. Bonnie stepped back in.

"Don't hurt her!" Bonnie protested.

"Don't make me!" He returned. Their last chance of making their own escape scuppered, Bonnie shut the door and slid the deadbolt back across. Ben let go of Elena and she and Bonnie looked at each other hopelessly.

* * *

Damon was grinding his teeth as he headed to the town square. Damon had gotten back from Bonnie's Grams' just in time to overhear Anna's call to Stefan. He had volunteered to attend the meeting with the vampire while Stefan was going to try and stake out wherever Anna had stashed Elena and Bonnie. Stefan had intended to go back and beg Sheila to do a locater spell. Damon had the idea that Sheila was more likely to help him open the tomb if he and Stefan ensured Bonnie was safe, but his first priority was Elena. If Elena was safe he could open this tomb no matter what the consequences were, if she would still help him.

When he reached the square, he saw that Anna- looking much the same as she had in 1864, though she'd replaced bonnets and hoop skirts with jeans and t-shirts- was talking to Jeremy Gilbert. He was inviting her to a party in the woods near the cemetery that night- how charming. He waited until Jeremy was out of sight and Anna had sat down before speeding to sit down beside her on the bench.

"Got a hot date or you just plan on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" He asked her.

"A party right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires." She smiled at him, "I have the grimoire and the witch, so why not just give it up already and join the winning side? We both want the same thing right now, Damon."

"I prefer to work alone. And I especially don't work with people who kidnap my friends and steal my things," He added.

"Your _friend_ ," Anna snorted, "Elena Gilbert isn't your friend Damon. The whole town knows you're in love with her." Damon glared at her, rage pulsing through him. He could feel his fangs lengthening and the veins around his eyes beginning to stand out. How he wished he could rip her head off…  
"I'm older than you, Damon, so don't even think about it," Anna warned him, second-guessing his thoughts. He huffed out a breath angrily.

"You mess with Elena and you won't just have me to worry about. Stefan will kill you if I don't get there first." That was one thing he had his younger brother had in common- _nobody_ touched Elena Gilbert as far as either of them were concerned, "What do you need us for anyway? As you say, you have the grimoire and the witch. Why aren't you just getting on with the damn job?"

"Bonnie Bennett is not strong enough to do this spell alone. We need the other Bennett witch."

"And you think Sheila Bennett is going to listen to me?" Damon had a good laugh at that one, "The woman tried to make my head explode once already today. You want her help you can go ask yourself."

"The only person she will help is her granddaughter, who it seems would rather die than help us." Anna fixed him with a look, "It's your choice, Damon. You get the Bennett witches to comply or I kill Elena." Anna stood up and made to walk away. Damon sighed, knowing that he had no choice.

"When do you want to do this?" He called after her. Anna turned around with a smile, looking him up and down.

"God, it's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatore's are truly pathetic when it comes to women," She laughed derisively, "Tonight, after sundown. Meet at the church." Damon watched her walking away, having to fight the urge to snap her neck right then and there, and catching her unawares. But, if Anna died then whatever minion she had holding Elena and Bonnie would probably kill both of them and then he'd have a whole new set of problems to deal with. Stefan suspected the new bartender in the Grill was the _other_ vampire in this; not the smartest kid, Damon recalled.

He headed home after that, deciding that another blood bag was in order. If he was going to be restraining the escape of twenty six vampires tonight, then he needed to get his strength up. Stefan's flimsy animal diet was not going to cut the cake. It was a couple of hours before anything new happened, and Damon got lost in his thoughts, staring into the flames of the fire whilst clutching a glass of bourbon. Part of him was wondering whether he should even be opening this tomb after all. These tomb vampires had already caused him an unending amount of trouble the past couple of days and they hadn't even gotten out yet. Was freeing Katherine really worth the risk? _Yes,_ he told himself, _she is._ But Anna had said it first… was he in love with Elena now?

Before he could contemplate these thoughts any further, Elena herself walked into the house.  
"I'm gonna have to change the locks," He joked.

"Hey," She greeted him softly. Damon put his glass down and stood up. He clenched and unclenched his hands, wanting to grab her and hold her to him but quite being able to bring himself to do it then.

"So you're okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Elena replied. He nodded.

"Elena, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention…" She held up her hand to stop him.

"All Stefan has done is apologise a million times. I don't need to hear it from you too. I'm _fine_ ," Elena insisted, and Damon allowed himself to relax slightly. "I convinced Bonnie to help you."

"Really?" Damon didn't really trust Bonnie Bennett. She didn't want those vampires out and nor did anyone else, apart from himself and Anna.

"Damon, we're all on the same side now. I know that sounds hard to believe, but we are."

"Well, Bonnie can't do that spell alone, Elena, she's not strong enough." He was surprised to see her nod at this, already knowing.

"Her Grams agreed to help her… she thinks that, once Katherine is out, all of this will stop… that _you_ will stop," Elena was edging towards him, though she looked almost scared of his reaction, "But you're not the villain, Damon. You… you care, a lot. That's why this is so important to you."

"I'm not the hero, Elena. I'm not the good guy." He had never wanted her to have the wrong impression of him. Elena had brought out some of the good in him, as deeply buried as it might be, but Damon could not undo the terrible things he had done. The thing is, he knew that she understood that- he knew that she was his friend in spite of all those awful things, and that she might even love him partially _because_ of them. He couldn't deny her feelings for him, even if he wasn't sure of his own. Still, he was drawn towards her.

"I know, Damon, but you're not the bad guy either, you're… kind of both, and neither." Elena smiled a little, and Damon could feel himself smiling back down at her.

"Anna's not gonna stop no matter what I do," He told her.

"Then we'll deal with it."

* * *

Elena arrived at the woods with Damon after the sun had gone down. Quite a few students were standing around, drinking and chatting.  
"Oh, the Duke party. I forgot. I hope they stay clear of the church." She looked around at all of them a little anxiously. If their plan went well, the other vampires would stay put in the tomb and never get free, but Elena knew that a lot could go wrong with this spell. Bonnie and her Grams had warned them several times. They were approached then by Matt and Caroline.

"Elena, hey!" Matt greeted her. Elena grinned, feeling like she hadn't seen Matt in forever. It'd been a long few days.

"Elena! Oh my god, where have you been?" Caroline asked brightly, but Elena did not miss the fact that she and Matt were holding hands. It seemed that whatever differences and early bumps in the roads of their relationship had finally been ironed out. Elena smiled.

"Long story, no time to tell it," Damon said before Elena could respond in any way.

"I wasn't talking to you," Caroline told him irritably.

"Damon, don't be rude," Elena hissed under her breath. Damon just smirked at her.

"We haven't met. I'm Matt," He introduced himself to Damon. He held out his hand for Damon to shake, but Elena spotted the sign that Damon was about to ignore this gesture, so she elbowed him in the side. With an eye roll, Damon took Matt's hand and shook it.

"Damon Salvatore," He drawled lazily, "Obviously. Come on Elena, we're going that way." Damon seized her arm and began dragging her away from Caroline and Matt. Elena called an apology over her shoulder to them- Matt looked confused, Caroline annoyed. They walked into the trees, though not for as long as Elena might have liked. They were uncomfortably close to the party, meaning anything could go wrong. When they arrived at the tomb, Stefan, Bonnie and her Grams were already there. Stefan was emerging from the steps of the tomb with a shovel in hand.

"I cleared the debris away and set the torches like you asked," Stefan informed Sheila and Bonnie, "So we can get down there now. Oh hey," He added, spotting Elena and Damon approaching them.

"Brother. Witches." Damon greeted them. Bonnie was clutching the grimoire in her arms and looked worried. Elena spotted a few cans of gasoline lying nearby and gathered that this was Stefan's plan for stopping the other vampires from escaping. Damon strode on past them and went down the steps to the tomb. The remaining four looked at each other.

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked Elena as she approached him. She'd been more grateful than she could say when Stefan rescued she and Bonnie earlier. She only hoped that it hadn't been for nothing.

"I just want to get this over with," Elena admitted. Stefan nodded sympathetically. "Are we ready?"

"I guess so," Bonnie answered apprehensively.

"Not quite." They looked around and Damon had appeared once more. In a flash he had sped over beside Elena, "I'm sorry but I'm not willing to risk this." Her eyes widened as he opened his mouth, revealing fangs. He tore into the skin of his own wrist, and before Elena could protest, he forced it to her mouth. His blood rushed in and Elena struggled against him, but Damon held her still, until she was forced to swallow the blood. He released her and she turned to stare at him, shocked.

"Damon what the-?"

"I am _not_ losing you." He walked away before she could say anymore. Closing her mouth, Elena looked around. Stefan was looking at her a little sadly, while Bonnie looked horrified. Sheila took charge then, leading them down to the tomb. She busied herself lighting the torches. Damon was staring at the door to the tomb, tracing the pentagram with his hand.

"I'd better not die," Elena warned him, "I don't want to be a vampire." Damon gave a throaty chuckle before he, Elena and Stefan retreated to the entrance.

"Air," Sheila said, "Earth. Fire."

"Water," Bonnie added, sprinkling water from a bottle. Elena raised an eyebrow.

"That's it? Water from a tap?" She asked, surprised.

"As opposed to what?" Sheila responded, looking over at her with a half-smile. Elena felt she'd gone up in her estimations since she'd said she didn't want to become a vampire.

"I just figured it'd maybe have to be blessed or mystical or something," Sheila smirked at her and Elena felt stupid. She ought to have known more by now from Bonnie that magic was drawn from nature. Elena watched Bonnie and her Grams settle into position, ready to begin, but then out of the corner of her eye Damon moved. He was unravelling a blood bag.

"What's that?" Stefan asked him.

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going," Damon replied, "I didn't think Elena was gonna offer to tap a vein for us." Elena rolled her eyes as Damon looked back at her, not amused. A moment later, Bonnie looked up at them from the ground:

"We're ready." Bonnie and her Grams locked hands and, closing their eyes, they began chanting together in unison in a strange language. Elena had never heard anything like it.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked.

"Sounds Latin," Stefan replied, obviously equally mystified by what was going on. Elena frowned.

"I don't think its Latin." They continued chanting, seeming oblivious to their surroundings. After a few more seconds, the torches flared suddenly, making Elena jump. She instinctively grabbed onto Stefan's arm, as he was nearest, and he placed his hand over hers reassuringly and squeezed. Elena thought she heard a strange sort of rushing sound, but then, slowly, the door of the tomb began to creak open. Stefan let go of her hand.

"It worked!" Bonnie said. She and her Grams had stopped chanting and were looking at the door.

"Of course it worked," Sheila told her. Elena glanced back at Damon, but he was looking at his brother.

"We have some fires to build," He told Stefan, who nodded and departed to fetch the gasoline. Elena felt his hand graze her arm, trailing down until his fingers interlocked with hers. This was a part of the plan which they hadn't discussed in front of the others; loathe as she was to mistrust her friends, a part of her dreaded that they might seal the tomb with Damon inside. Bonnie and her Grams had made it amply clear that they hated vampires and Damon had agreed this was a real possibility. He hadn't been exactly happy with Elena accompanying him, but she supposed that had been why he gave her his blood- just in case.

"Let's go," Elena told him, and they headed towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie gasped.

"I'll be fine, Bon. I'll be safe with Damon," Elena told her best friend, trying her best to sound confident. She wasn't actually sure whether Damon would care how she was doing once Katherine was awake. She eyed the blood bag in his other hand.

"Don't take her in," Sheila told Damon, "I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?" He hadn't forgotten the aneurysm she'd given him earlier.

"As much as I trust you," Sheila retorted, and the two glared at each other.

"Enough," Elena said, "Both of you. This was _my_ idea. He needs leverage; he needs to know you aren't going to shut the door behind him. I get it. And I will be fine." She did her best to ignore the hurt that showed on Bonnie's face when Elena admitted that this part of the plan was her idea; she had no time to dwell on this now. Damon gripped her hand more tightly, choosing one of the torches before leading her into the tomb.

* * *

 **A/N: I owe so many people thanks for reviewing! You guys have all been so great! But please don't stop giving me feedback, it helps me a lot! I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as long, the next one will be though :)**


	28. Katherine's Choice

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Katherine's Choice**

The tomb was extremely dark and extremely creepy. Elena looked around herself, struggling to see. She thought she could hear voices, whispers, all around her, but she couldn't see where they were coming from.

"What is that?" Elena asked Damon nervously.

"They can sense you," He replied, "Now, where is she?" Without warning, he let go of her hand, fixated on the task he had come to do. Elena's heart jumped up into her throat.

"No, Damon. Damon!" She whispered as loudly as she dared. Unable to see much by the light of the single flashlight she was holding, and with the whispers seeming to get louder the further she went in an attempt to follow Damon, Elena fell. The flashlight clattered to the floor, but Elena hoisted herself up as quickly as she could. The beam of the flashlight had fallen on something… a foot. Elena snatched it up and looked down at the body of the desiccated vampire at her feet. An involuntary squeak escaped her. She looked around, turning, and more and more vampires came into sight. Startled, she fell again and landed next to one of them. Right beside him, Elena gasped with shock. His eyes, bloodshot and hungry, had opened. She screamed and jumped up, looking desperately around for a way out. Instead, she found herself face to face with Anna.

* * *

He was aware in the smaller part of his mind that Elena was screaming. She wasn't far away from him but he hardly had a thought to spare for her, despite his promises. She would be safe with his blood in her system, no matter what happened. He had walked around and around the tomb, looking into the face of every dried up vampire. Some he recognised, some he didn't, either due to not remembering them or because desiccation had robbed them of distinguishing features. He had looked at every single one of them at least five times but one thing was certain: not one of them was Katherine.

His temper took him over as the screaming stopped. He kicked the dirt on the floor, feeling as though every fibre of his being was crashing in on itself. 145 years he had waited for this day…

"Damon," Stefan's voice said. Damon turned and saw him standing there.

"She's not here." Damon told him.

"What?" Stefan frowned. He looked as confused as Damon felt, and he knew then that his brother had not deceived him on this, at least. Damon pulled out the blood bag he'd brought her.

"She's not here!" He yelled, and threw the bag at the wall. He watched the blood splatter, and all he could think about was how he wished his heart was that blood bag- useless and thrown away, the way Katherine had left it over a century ago. Stefan placed his hand on Damon's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, brother." He was being sincere. Damon shook his head, and Elena's voice rang through the tomb from the entrance.

"Stefan, they can't hold it much longer!" She called. Stefan turned from the source of her voice back to Damon, who couldn't move for grief.

"Damon, we need to get out of here." Stefan's voice was firm but urgent. Damon knew he was probably right, but he was rooted to the spot. He couldn't make it add up inside his head. How could she not be here? He swallowed.

"It doesn't make sense," He told Stefan blankly, "They locked her inside."

"If we don't leave now we're not getting out," Stefan urged him, trying to yank him towards the exit, but Damon didn't budge.

"How could she not be in here?" Now Damon felt like he was hearing himself speak, rather than actually saying anything. Nothing made sense now, none of it. Everything he had gone through to be here, to get Katherine back, to finally be with her… all for nothing.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here," Stefan pleaded, " _She's_ not worth it!" Anger flared up inside of him at that and Damon shoved his brother away. Stefan made another grab for him but Damon pushed him back again. His insides felt like they were on fire.

"No!" He told Stefan. He looked around the tomb. She was supposed to be here… her face was suddenly before him, and his heart leapt- but it was Elena. She looked stricken and was bleeding from her wrist. Stefan shrugged helplessly at her and she ran over to Damon, grabbing his hand.

"Damon, please!" Her hand was warm. Katherine's hands had always been cold. He remembered how, when she fed from him, she warmed up deliciously against his skin. He had loved that feeling, but he had hated how cold she was otherwise. Damon closed his hand around Elena's and allowed her to lead him out of the tomb, behind Stefan. He was, for the moment, numb.

When they emerged, Bonnie and her grandmother stopped chanting. Damon heard the door slam shut behind him. Bonnie was gasping for air and wheezing, clearly in pain. Sheila hardly looked any better, though both seemed glad it was over. Elena silently turned and hugged Damon. He could still feel the cold stone tomb door at his back. He didn't hug her back but he didn't push her away.  
"Anna got out with her mother. They were going to use Jeremy to feed her but she promised she would leave him alone. But he's unconscious outside and I need to check on him," Elena whispered to Damon. He nodded and she hurried outside, followed by Stefan. Damon watched them go.

"Damon?" Bonnie spoke his name timidly after a few minutes of him just standing there, silently. She had gathered up all the things they'd used to do the spell, including the grimoire. He just looked at her and turned away, making his way up the steps and out into the open. He watched as Jeremy woke up, groaning a bit from being knocked out. He turned and walked away. He had a bone to pick with somebody.

He waited in the motel room patiently. He sat in a chair in the corner and waited. Eventually, Anna showed up with Pearl, who looked frail and was still dressed in the fashions of the 1860s. Anna jumped in shock when she saw him, and he saw her gulp.  
"You knew Katherine wasn't in there," He stood up, his voice dangerously quiet.

"You wouldn't have helped me." Anna said bluntly. Incensed, he moved towards her with vampire speed, grabbing Pearl by the throat. She was too weak to fight on a small amount of Elena's blood. Anna protested but Damon wasn't interested in listening.

"Why do you get a happy ending?" He demanded. Anna rushed towards him, but he grabbed her too so that she couldn't move. She may be older than him but he was angrier than her.

"Damon," Pearl gasped, "The guard at the church let her go, the one who locked us in. She promised to turn him." Damon let go of Pearl and her hand went to her throat, rubbing it. Damon honestly didn't care that he'd hurt her. Anna went to her mother's side, turning to stare up at him.

"I saw her in Chicago in 1983. She didn't care, Damon. She knew where you were and she didn't care." Although Anna's words were harsh, her voice sounded sympathetic. And with that sound, his anger at Anna temporarily vanished, "There was no other way you would have helped me."

"She knew where I was," He repeated the words, "So… she asked?"

"She asked where Stefan was," Anna replied, "I'm sorry, Damon. She recognised me and she asked whether I'd seen Stefan. I said no but that I'd heard that you were in Atlanta. She just asked when I'd last heard anything about Stefan." Damon looked at Pearl and she shrunk away from him.

"One whiff of trouble from you two and I'll rip your hearts out." He departed the motel room then in a state of something he was horribly familiar with even after all this time: heartbreak.

He went back to his car and he started the engine. He drove home in total silence. All Damon knew at that moment was pain- not just because she hadn't been there waiting for him, but because even without her there in front of him, her decision was clear; she had chosen Stefan. He remembered everything, of course: Katherine had never had to compel Damon to love her. Stefan had tried to tell him that everything he had felt for Katherine had been pretend, that she had compelled him to feel that way, but Damon had always known the truth- she had only ever had to compel Stefan, because Stefan had been sweet and naïve and kind- in other words, the total opposite of Katherine. He could never have truly loved her as more than a friend. He had not loved her the way she wanted and so she had made him love her. Damon had just been dragged along for the ride. He remembered the first evening that he and Katherine had become involved...

 _Damon Salvatore stood slightly nervously at Katherine's bedroom door. He had never been forward with ladies, though he was a popular suitor among the young women of Mystic Falls. He had squired both the Forbes' sisters about the town, not to mention young Miss Lockwood, but for all his charm he could not overstep his mark. Something was different about Katherine; with her, he wanted to overstep the mark, and quickly._

" _You don't have to wait to be invited in, Mr Salvatore," Katherine called to him, turning away from her reflection in which she was having her handmaiden, Emily, fix her hair. Damon stepped into the room a little awkwardly._

" _My father has bid me to escort you to the dance at the Lockwood house, Miss Katherine."_

" _You know that I have asked you a thousand times just to call me Katherine," Katherine smiled her illuminating smile which often transfixed him._

" _I will call you Katherine if you will call me Damon," He said. She seemed pleased by this._

 _It was only a little while later that Damon was helping Katherine into the carriage which would take them across to the Lockwood estate. The driver climbed up on top and Damon found himself fully alone with Katherine for perhaps the first time. He held his breath, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. She looked resplendent in her beautiful dress. Katherine caught him looking.  
"You could command with just a glance of those beautiful blue eyes, Damon," She told him, moving closer to him on the bench. _

" _I could?" He allowed himself a smile at that. Katherine leant in closer._

" _Damon, have you ever kissed a woman?" She asked him._

" _I have," He admitted._

" _Have you ever made love?" Her hand had grazed his thigh and she was looking at him meaningfully…_

Suddenly he was outside the boarding house, though he hardly remembered the drive there. The night seemed strangely usual for everything that had happened, but these nights usually were. Damon headed inside and went straight up to his room. He didn't know if he wanted to see Stefan or not. He knew this was not his brother's fault, but he couldn't help feeling a little resentful. When he opened his bedroom door, though, it was to find Elena waiting for him. She was sitting at the end of his bed with her legs crossed.

"Now this must be topsy-turvy day, huh?" Damon asked dryly, closing the door behind himself, "Usually it's me waiting for you in your bedroom."

"I had to see you," Elena told him, "I had to make sure that you're…"

"Okay?" He guessed, "Of course I'm not." He took his jacket off and tossed it aside violently. Elena didn't flinch, she just watched him. He began to pace backwards and forwards, "Look, it's not a good idea for you to be around me right now Elena, I have no idea what I might do…"

"If you hurt me I'll heal. If you kill me I'll turn into a vampire. Your blood is still in my system," Elena reminded him. Damon grunted and picked up a bottle of bourbon, taking a huge gulp of it. Perhaps the alcohol could burn some of the pain away.

"In other words, you're not going anywhere." Damon finished for her. Elena nodded. He sighed and sat down beside her on the end of his bed. They were silent for a little while. Damon took occasional swigs of bourbon and Elena breathed.

"I'm really sorry she wasn't there, Damon. I mean, truly. I thought that… well, I don't know." Elena told him eventually. Damon moved his hand to where hers was lying on the cover between them. He covered it with his own, trying to allow only the pleasant warmth of her into his mind. It helped enable him to tell her what he had learned:

"Anna saw Katherine in1983. She was only interested in Stefan. She didn't give a hoot about me." Elena cringed for him, and it made him feel a tad better just for a moment; it was normal that that had come as a blow to him. Damon had acknowledged to himself just a little that he really ought not to have been surprised. Katherine was no angel, never had been. "And why _would_ she care about me? Why would she ever choose me? Nobody would."

"Just because Katherine didn't…" Elena began.

"No, Elena. You know this isn't just about Katherine. Stefan is the good one. The nice one that girls fall for. Stefan always had somebody… always will have somebody. Me? I don't, and I don't deserve to either after everything I've done." He removed his hand from hers and pushed his hair out of his eyes. His other hand played with the bourbon bottle.

"That isn't true," Elena told him, "You deserve to have somebody. You don't have to be alone, Damon, not forever… you're not alone now."

* * *

Damon was broken. Elena could see it in the slump of his shoulders, in the lost look in his eyes, and even in the way his voice sounded. Damon had been lonely, she realised, for a very long time. Katherine had kept him from losing it- he had thought he had her, or would have her once he was the one who rescued her from the tomb. But she had failed him. She had never been in that tomb, and she hadn't cared about Damon anyway. Elena could only imagine how much that would hurt. Damon had killed, he'd tortured and he'd probably committed a thousand other nameless sins in his time on earth, but he was not the terrible person he believed himself to be; not completely. He had learned to cope with everything he felt by shutting everybody out and giving people what they expected- a cold blooded killer with no feelings. But Elena had always known that it was just a front.

Stefan had also made her aware how perilously close Damon probably was to turning off his humanity again. They had talked about it on the way to Bonnie's. Stefan was only just getting his brother back after 145 years of solid resentment, and he didn't want to lose Damon again. Elena seemed to have been the thing that woke him up inside somehow- at least to some extent. He had opened up to her and subsequently, he had switched his humanity back on. Their only hope was that she could persuade him to stay with them now, to claw his way through this hellish pain and back to those who cared for him in spite of everything he'd done.

Damon didn't respond to her assertion that he deserved not to be alone. He just looked at her, then looked away. After a while, she sighed and took the bourbon from him. He wasn't even drinking it then, he was just brooding. She took a sip of it herself before she replaced it on his desk before leaving him to his thoughts to go home and get some much-needed sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it was super helpful of you! As you see, I have decided to deal with the problem of who Katherine is going to choose earlier on than canon, for reasons which will become obvious soon. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	29. Under The Influence

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Under The Influence**

Back in the old days, Damon might have gone on a killing spree to deal with the feelings raging through his system. However, with his humanity switched on and people who cared about him to consider, he decided to simply mask the pain with alcohol and blood instead. Sorority girls were always easy targets, and once he had them compelled he simply let them run wild in the house, them drinking alcohol and he blood. He was soon drunk on both and the fact that Katherine didn't love him seemed less important. It was still there in the back of his mind and in the empty void he felt in his chest, but it didn't bother him so much. That was the aim: pretend not to care until he really didn't care.

Stefan, of course, couldn't and wouldn't abide by such behaviour. The lights came on and the fun was over the second he entered the house.  
"Oh, not Buzzkill Bob!" Damon complained. He'd just been feeding from a particularly hot brunette and he wasn't ready to join his brother on the moral high ground. Stefan turned the music off.

"Can we talk?" He asked Damon bluntly. Damon looked around at all the girls and flopped down on the couch, picking up a bottle of alcohol and waiting.

"Yeah?" Stefan just looked at him, "Whatever you wanna say to me you can say in front of the girls… they're really good at keeping secrets!" He added the second part in a stage whisper.

"You're drunk," Stefan stated.

"And you're not. There's a solution to that problem, little bro. Just have a little drink… of bourbon, or blood, whatever," Damon offered. Stefan simply glared at him and disappeared through the room into the kitchen. Damon considered leaving him hanging and continuing with what he liked to think of as his therapy, but something propelled him after Stefan after a moment. Stefan was waiting for him with a cup of coffee and an expectant look. Damon grudgingly accepted the coffee, sipping it as he waited for Stefan to begin his lecture. However, he just kept looking at Damon for so long that he gave in:

"I get it. You're worried about me. But I assure you, I'm fine. Sure, I just spent the last century and a half with the sole goal of getting into that tomb. And you know what? I succeeded. Granted wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell? I for one am quite relieved to have no masterplan, it's very liberating. I can do whatever the hell I want," He finished his speech with a grin, though it had gone on for longer than he planned. He had left several pauses in which Stefan could jump in, but his brother had simply listened. Even at the end of the speech, Stefan seemed to have nothing to say, and so, Damon continued. "Look, the girls are gonna be fine- they'll just think they partied too hard. They won't remember a thing. I don't plan on killing any of 'em, they've been very good to me."

"Are you done now?" Stefan asked with a raised eyebrow. Damon shrugged. "I just came back from Elena's, by way of Alaric Saltzman."

"Got extra credit assignments to volunteer for?" Damon joked, "What a diligent student you are!"

"Alaric Saltzman was married to a woman named Isobel," Stefan told him.

"So I've heard," Damon replied, not letting anything on.

"Well, as we both know, you killed her- or so Mr Saltzman thought, until you told him otherwise shortly before killing him." Stefan was watching him closely for any sign of a reaction, so Damon kept his face straight. Vampires sobered up faster than humans, especially with coffee.

"Except the guy didn't stay dead. What is up with that?"

"It's his ring, it carries a spell of some kind. He got it from Isobel." So, he wasn't going to allow Damon change the subject- that figured.

"Right," Damon said, getting impatient now.

"As you also well know, Elena's birth mother's name is Isobel. What you may _not_ know, however, is that her Aunt Jenna managed to track down said Isobel's friend. Now, if, theoretically, Isobel Saltzman turned out to be Isobel, Elena's mother, is there anything that we need to know which may be of vital importance?" Damon stared, then shook his head.

"Stefan, they're not the same person." He told his brother. This was a scenario he had been playing out over and over his head, and the possibility was too terrible to contemplate. It couldn't be true.

"I said theoretically." Stefan knew he was onto something, and Damon swallowed.

" _Theoretically_ , Isobel Saltzman is a vampire. She asked me to turn her." Stefan closed his eyes. This was obviously the answer he had been dreading. "Come on, you must have deduced when I said she wasn't dead-"

"I was actually sort of hoping you'd just slept with her or something," Stefan told him, "Somehow that'd be less messy than the alternative."

"Stef, Isobel Saltzman was in North Carolina. Do you know how many Isobel's there are between Mystic Falls and North Carolina? Hundreds." Stefan was across the room in a shot, his hands on Damon's shoulders, looking at him sharply. Wondering when he'd become so easily convinced to spill the beans, Damon broke: "Look, I don't want this to be any more true than you do, but Isobel tracked me down because she was researching paranormal activity around Mystic Falls, because she grew up close to here. But _so what_? It's not proof." Now that he had finally said it out loud, though, Damon thought it did sound an awful lot like proof. He groaned, the party really over now.

"Are you going to tell her or, or shall I?" Stefan asked him. Damon hesitated. Between this and Katherine, he could do with simply flipping the switch so he wouldn't have to care that Elena was going to be horrified by what she was about to find out. But, he would rather she heard it from him. Let her hate him if she needed to- it'd be better for both of them if she did.

* * *

Elena had come to a decision after having thought about what Stefan had said about coming with her to meet Trudie when he had come over to see her. In some ways, she thought the moral support would be good, but she also felt like this was something she ought to do alone. Stefan had given her the option, but she decided that as it was her mother alone, she would go alone to Trudie. So, she got in her car and started driving. Admittedly, she didn't go very fast- part of her wanted to make a U-turn and go back home, lock herself in her room and forget that she was adopted and had no idea what she was going to find if and when she tracked down her real mother. But, she had to be brave. This couldn't be scarier than the tomb full of starving vampires.

She was at the outskirts of Mystic Falls when a figure appeared in the road before her. Heart in her mouth, Elena braked hard, breathing heavily from shock. It took her a minute to realise that it was Damon she had almost hit. She waited for him to come round to the passenger side of her car, when he hopped in.

"Going somewhere?" He asked. She stared at him, lost for words. He may not know it, but he looked terrible- there was actually dry blood around his lips, which Elena would rather not know the origin of. His hair was messy and he looked tired.

"Oh, Damon," She sighed, and hugged him. He was still and unmoving for a moment, but then he returned the hug, his arms going around her.

"Hey," He murmured, and she let him go. He looked back at her for a minute then looked away, staring out the front window of her car, "Left onto the highway up there," He pointed, reminding her that they weren't moving. Elena glanced behind to make sure no more cars were coming up on the quiet road behind her.

"You're going to scrub up before tonight, aren't you?" Elena smiled, trying to lighten the sudden awkwardness between the two of them.

"Tonight?" Damon repeated blankly.

"The auction. You know, of eligible bachelors. Carol Lockwood put you on the list weeks ago." She didn't blame Damon for having other things on his mind lately- she wouldn't be particularly interested in taking part in a fundraising event after everything that Damon had been through lately.

"Who are the other bachelors?" Damon asked her in a monotonous voice, still not looking at Elena.

"I don't know them all," Elena admitted, "I know that Alaric Saltzman is on the list though- Jenna mentioned it earlier." Damon's ears seemingly pricked up at this name and he looked at her for a split second, but then winced and looked away. Elena felt a little hurt that he couldn't even look at her right now. "Damon, I'm not Katherine."

"I know you're not," He replied dully.

"Then why aren't you looking at me?" She had him stumped there, she knew it. Damon sighed and turned to fix her with his bright blue gaze. Elena felt a little like a deer trapped in a headlights then and almost regretted saying anything about it.

"I'm sorry," He told her, and his voice finally sounded a little more normal, "I haven't been… well, whatever. Look, Elena, Stefan told me that you found out where your mom's best friend lives and I know that's where you're going. I understand why you want to go, and why you probably wanted to do it alone, but there is something you've got to know."

"What?"

"I should have told you this before," He sighed, "Elena, I know you've entertained the Isobel Saltzman theory and are most likely as reluctant to hear it as I am. But, there's something you don't know about Isobel Saltzman… I turned her." Elena stared at him. "She gave Alaric a ring which stops him from dying, and then she seemed to disappear. Well, the reason for that is, she'd tracked me down. She wanted to be turned and so I did it. I hardly knew anything about the woman, just thought she was some crazy researcher who was obsessed with vampires- she wouldn't be the first. She'd told me that she'd read up on a town near where she grew up which had a strange supernatural mythology surrounding it, and that she had come across a few names."

"The town was Mystic Falls," Elena closed her eyes and leant back in her seat, feeling as though she'd been stung.

"And the names were Annabelle Zhu, the only known survivor of the vampire purge of 1864, and Stefan and Damon Salvatore, who appeared to die and then vanish without a trace. Anna and Stefan have kept a low profile over the years but I didn't, exactly. So, she found me and I turned her." Damon finished the story in a low voice.

Her birth mother was a vampire. Could she have nothing normal in her life? A vampire mother, a witch best friend… History teachers with magical rings which resurrected them after they'd died- and who were also, technically, her step-father. She wanted to believe that this was still all just some raging coincidence and that her mother, Isobel, was a normal person who'd simply panicked because she'd had a baby too young. The little truth voice in her head, however, wouldn't allow her to fool herself. Elena finally opened her eyes and turned her head. Damon was watching her.

"You can still go and see her friend, if you want," Damon said quietly, "But you can't go alone. Isobel might not want to be found, and if she doesn't, asking questions could put you in danger."

"Then I won't go alone," Elena sighed, making up her mind: "I'll go with Stefan." Damon's mask slipped when she spoke the words. She saw the hurt cross his face and instantly felt guilty for this knee-jerk remark, but it was too late. Damon simply nodded, got out of the car, slammed the door shut and left. He went so fast she didn't even really see him go. Elena knew that Damon hadn't known her then. She knew that he could have lied to her but he had chosen not to. Her comment was childish, but she couldn't take it back, and so she called Stefan, who came with her instead as he'd promised.

It wasn't a long drive to Grove Hill, and during said drive they devised somewhat of a plan: Stefan was not going to make his vampire status known, appearing as her normal, supporting human friend. Elena was just going to make light enquiries about Isobel, and when they got some sort of information, they would leave.

"Isobel Flemming was her maiden name, according to Alaric," Stefan told her as they pulled up outside the address Jenna had given Elena.

"If it's the same Isobel," Elena said, though she didn't have any conviction when she said it.

"I guess we're about to find out." When Elena couldn't find the courage to knock the door, Stefan did it for her. Between knocking and the door being opened, they both turned on the spot to check their surroundings. It was a nice neighbourhood, and quiet; no sign of anything unusual. A pretty blonde woman answered the door. She was a couple of inches shorter than Elena, and she greeted them with a slightly confused smile.

"Trudie?" Elena asked, "Tru-Trudie Peterson?"

"Yes?" Elena's heart leapt at the word.

"My name is Elena Gilbert, this is Stefan. I… I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming." Trudie looked surprised to hear this. Elena just took it as confirmation that her birth mother really was Alaric's wife-turned-vampire.

"I haven't heard that name in years. How do you know her?" She wanted to know.

"Um, I think that… well… do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?" Elena fumbled for the words, not really knowing how to explain. Luckily, Trudie understood immediately.

"My God. You're her daughter," She realised, looking at her more fully, "I was just gonna make some tea, would you like some?" There was a little trepidation to that question which Elena wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't felt Stefan tense beside her. She glanced at him and he nodded infinitesimally.

"Sure," Elena agreed.

"Uh, the kitchen's this way," Trudie took a few steps back from the door and her eyes were on Elena's feet. A bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, Elena stepped over the threshold. Sure enough, she saw Trudie breathe a sigh of relief, "You can come in." Trudie added to Stefan, and Elena could breathe freely too- clearly, although Trudie knew about vampires and had suspected Elena to be one, she had never been warned to watch out for the Salvatore brothers. Elena exchanged looks with Stefan as they followed Trudie into her kitchen.

"I haven't thought about Isobel in years," Trudie told them, as the three of them took seats around the table.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Elena asked, trying to sound casual even though she could hardly hear her own voice over the sound of her pulse thumping in her ears.

"About 17 years ago when she left to go have you," Trudie replied.

"Really?" Stefan leant towards Trudie, and Elena saw his pupils dilate rapidly as he tried to compel her- if her defences were down he might be able to.

"I last saw her 17 years ago," Trudie replied in a monotone.

"When did you last hear from her?" Elena asked this time.

"We kept in touch for a while, but you know how people drift apart." Elena glanced at Stefan, who smiled at Trudie.

"And when did you last hear about her?" He was compelling once more, Elena noticed. She waited with her breath held.

"I can't talk about that." Her voice was a flat monotone again, and Elena swallowed as Stefan sat back again and caught her eye: Trudie had been compelled. She'd had some form of contact with Isobel or somebody who knew her but it was as Damon had suspected; Isobel didn't want to be found, especially not by Elena. Which probably meant that she knew exactly where Elena was and just didn't care. The kettle began whistling in the background, making Elena jump. Trudie jumped up brightly. "Let me just go get that."

As she disappeared into the kitchen, Elena opened her mouth to speak but Stefan shook his head and she closed it again. He got up and disappeared after her as quick as a flash. A few seconds passed and then Stefan reappeared again. The expression on his face made her leap to her feet immediately.  
"What?" She gasped.

"We need to leave." Elena ran and Stefan was close behind her. Out in the street, Elena skidded to a halt for a second. A man was standing in the middle of the street, watching the house. Stefan seized Elena's hand and pulled her back towards her car. She fumbled for her keys but Stefan grabbed them, unlocking the car and jumping in on the driver's side. Elena ran around the car and got in on the passenger side, and the pair of them sped away. Looking back, Elena saw the man heading towards the house.

* * *

" _I'll go with Stefan,"_ He shouldn't have been surprised that Elena was angry with him. After all, he'd anticipated it. He'd turned her birth mother into a vampire. Still, she had picked Stefan's company over his, and he had begun to see a pattern forming. So, he retired himself to the Mystic Grill. Alaric Saltzman was already stationed comfortably at the bar. Damon walked right up beside him.  
"Bourbon," He used this word as a greeting in the Grill nowadays. He turned to Alaric, "Don't you have some papers to grade?"

"It's more fun with a buzz," Alaric shrugged, examining the glass which the remains of his own drink sat in.

"Most things in life are. Sober's depressing." Alaric gave him a strange look at that observation.

"You don't strike me as somebody who gets depressed," He told Damon, whose mouth twitched.

"You say that like you know me," He commented. Alaric put his glass down and made to walk away, but then seemed to change his mind, much to Damon's surprise. Alaric pulled up a bar stool instead and perched upon it, motioning for another drink. Damon spotted the fabled ring on his finger, the only reason Alaric was still alive. It reminded him of his own daylight ring, though it was very different in design. After a period of silence, Alaric spoke:

"You didn't sleep with her, did you?" He questioned.

"Who?" Damon pretended he didn't know.

"My wife," Alaric replied. Damon downed the rest of his drink and motioned for another. Then he looked Alaric dead in the eyes:

"No." Alaric nodded, seeming to accept that Damon was telling the truth. Damon hesitated before he spoke again, but he could see what he had to say took Alaric by surprise: "I've been in love too, you know. I've had that heart-wrenching, I'll do anything for them, go to the ends of the earth thing. So, I get it. You're gonna hate me because I took your wife away. I don't blame you. I'd blame me."

"It's easier to blame somebody other than yourself, right?" Alaric said. Damon looked around at him.

"It wasn't your fault, man. Wasn't mine, either." Alaric nodded again, and Damon raised his glass to the History teacher-cum-hunter before departing, not quite sure he was really in the mood for a heart-to-heart, now that the chance had presented itself. He returned instead to the boarding house, wondering why he felt so aimless. When he got back he jumped in the shower, feeling groggy and slow; drunk. He'd have to get into a better frame of mind before the damned fundraiser he was being forced to do. Of course, he could just not go, but then he'd just stay in and drive himself insane.

Once clean and dry, Damon pulled pants on and exited the bathroom. When he entered his own bedroom, he found Elena waiting for him. He paused when he saw her, not knowing quite what to do, but then decided that his forte was in appearing unconcerned, so he let tipsy Damon take the wheel.

"Damon," Elena's eyes couldn't seem to leave his bare chest no matter how she tried. Enjoying her discomfort, he approached her , "You look…"

"Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?" He guessed, smirking down at her as she tried to back away. Eventually she came up against his desk and could go no further, and Damon decided to plant himself there and not move.

"I was going to say drunk," Elena said, a little breathlessly.

"Oh," He pretended to appear disappointed. "So, you decided you wanted my company now huh?"

"Damon, I'm sorry. I wasn't fair to you," Elena told him. He sighed and turned away from her, going in search of a shirt. He located one plain black button up hanging up in his closet and slipped it on over his arms and shoulders, watching her.

"Don't lie. You were totally fair to me and that's why you feel extra bad," Damon chuckled, "I know you, Elena Gilbert." He struggled with the buttons, but before his bleary eyes they seemed to be moving around a lot. "Help a guy out, will you? Can't get this." Elena sighed and approached him of her own accord this time, reaching up to straighten his shirt before beginning to do the buttons up. He could feel how warm she was even though she seemed to be avoiding touching him.

"You were right about my birth mother," Elena told him, "Stefan caught Trudie texting somebody to tell her I was there, and then this guy showed up- well, we ran, obviously. But Isobel really doesn't want me to find her." In spite of herself, Elena looked quite upset by this. Damon stilled her fingers as they fiddled with one of the buttons of shirt and she looked up at him.

"She left you. She sucks. I don't think you're missing out on much."

"Stefan said the same thing," Elena told Damon, casting her eyes back down to where her hands were being held against his chest.

"Elena, I can't help you. I'm not putting you back in harm's way." Disappointment clouded her face and she bit her lip. Damon let go of her hands to tilt her chin back up so that her eyes met his. "I can't lose you. I _won't_ lose you. Do you understand that?"

"Damon," She began in protest but he hushed her by placing a finger over her mouth. They stared at each other for a minute and Damon could feel the tension growing. He felt like he was really looking at Elena for the first time then; now that she wasn't in Katherine's shadow and she was in front of him, warm and whole, he felt a rush of reckless desire. It was hard to say who truly moved first, but they collided in a breathy explosion. Elena's arms were around his neck and he lifted her by the waist, knowing nothing but the glorious heat of her body and the lively beat of her heart as he placed her on his bed, feeling her fingers trailing along the side of his jaw and down his neck.


	30. Bachelor Number Five

**Chapter Thirty: Bachelor Number Five**

Damon lay her back on the bed and Elena pulled him on top of her, her legs hooking around his hips. His lips didn't relent on her, neither on her own lips nor on her face and neck, as he kissed her with wild abandon. She never ever wanted this feeling to go away- the feeling of Damon so close to her, holding her, his hands all over her body as he tried to touch every inch of her. Elena had never felt this kind of passion before, the sort that could close your mind down completely and just give you over to your physical lust. The shirt she had just helped him button up was ripped open again, while Damon removed her long-sleeved t-shirt. His mouth moved across her jaw and her neck and then her throat, and Elena pushed the shirt out of her way so that she could claw at his back. Damon growled and ground his hips into hers and she clawed at him again. He grabbed each of her hands in his and pushed them above her head, holding them there before pausing.

Elena looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and she saw the question in them, but she didn't really consider it rationally. She tilted her head up so that she could kiss him. Eagerly, he kissed her back, sliding his tongue across her lips so that she opened her mouth. He sucked her bottom lip and Elena sighed as he let go of her hands. He kissed down her chest and abdomen, stopping at the waistband of her jeans. Elena arched her back but Damon had stopped moving, frozen completely in his position. Carefully, she lifted her head up and looked down at him.

Damon's face had changed. The veins around his eyes had stood out dark and prominent against his skin and, with his lips parted, Elena could see his fangs. He slowly tilted his head up to look at her.  
"Damon…" She said his name, trying to bring him back to himself. He slid back up her body, his hands returning to their position over hers, pinning her down.

"Stay still," He said quietly, looking at her, "I can't…"

"You're hungry," She whispered. Damon nodded. Elena first looked him in the eyes before turning her head to the side, exposing her neck. She could still see him, see his eyes as they moved along her neck to just below her ear. Damon licked his lips. "Feed." Elena told him. Inside, she could feel fear curling in her stomach; what was she doing? Why? Damon was dangerous, especially when he was hungry. She knew that, but something about their intimacy and their explosion of lust seemed to have dazed her somehow. She _wanted_ him to drink her blood; she wanted to know what it felt like. Vicki had bitten her before, of course, but she wanted to be close to Damon that way. She had drunk his blood the night they'd opened the tomb; he had never drunk hers.

"Elena…" His voice was almost a purr. He lowered his face to her neck and she heard him sniff, obviously breathing in the smell of her blood.

"Drink," She responded quietly. Damon's lips met her neck, kissing back up to her earlobe and sucking on it, causing her to shudder pleasurably. His tongue traced her ear and back down to where her pulse point was. Elena giggled involuntarily at the tickling sensation it caused, but then it turned to a gasp as he sunk his fangs into her veins.  
It didn't hurt as much as one might think, but he seemed to take care when he bit her not to rip into her or hurt her too much- it was almost like he was just breaking the skin, but Elena could feel her blood being drawn all the same. As he drank from her, Damon's grip on her hands loosened and then moved down her arms, gently caressing her skin. Elena followed his progress and took his hand. Damon held her hand until she made a small noise, and he withdrew from her neck.

"Thank you," Damon said to her quietly, and his face had returned to normal. Only a small amount of her blood remained on his bottom lip, and Elena reached up and wiped it away with her thumb. Damon smiled softly and kissed her again, lightly. Elena enjoyed his lips on hers again, but the moment of insane attraction had passed for now. Damon rolled off her and lay on his back, shirt still open, looking at the ceiling.

"I guess I'd better get going to the Grill," He said to her after a few comfortable minutes of silence, "I feel strangely not in the mood to be auctioned off to the desperate housewives of Mystic Falls now." Elena laughed. Something had changed between them after what had just happened. Elena's hand went to where he had bitten her. She cringed a little as she touched it. "Oh, sorry," Damon said, noticing. He bit into his own wrist and held it out for her. Elena sighed and took it, drinking his blood to heal herself, "Don't need anyone asking any awkward questions." The wound started to heal immediately.

"Let's go," Elena said, getting off of his bed and standing out, straightening out her clothes. Damon smirked as he watched her before he rolled off the bed too and followed suit, buttoning up his shirt again.

* * *

Damon stood boredly as Carol Lockwood carried out the auction. Other than Alaric, the other men standing up there were just ordinary nobodies from around town. Most of the women who had bought raffle tickets were either, as he had guessed, lonely middle aged women or people hoping to get a certain one of the bachelors. Most of the women were looking hopefully at himself, and while usually this would be flattering for his ego, he had no time for them. His eyes kept going across the room to where Elena was sitting, with Jenna, Caroline, Matt and his mother, one of the women who had entered the raffle. What had happened between them, had come out of frustration and desperation and sadness and yet… the moment she told him to feed from her, it had become real to Damon somehow. Nothing he did was going to get rid of Elena- she had told him that before but he hadn't been able to believe it, thinking that eventually she would tire of his murderous nature and want nothing more to do with him. But Elena had accepted that he was a vampire, much more completely than he could have imagined- and she wasn't trying to make him any other way. She wasn't trying to make him human, and she was not trying to turn him into something more like Stefan.

Elena seemed distracted and wasn't paying much attention to the auction, not that he could blame her. Damon had given some vague comment about being hard to summarise on a card. Alaric wasn't a particularly active participant either and while Damon would normally have loved to have the chance to publically antagonise him, he just didn't care enough to do so. He saw Matt Donovan's mother 'win' the auction for a guy who claimed to be a plumber. She didn't look very impressed by this and looked over at Damon, not subtly. She was pretty and clearly drunk, but Damon's head couldn't be turned at that moment. So it was a while before he was brought back to earth, and that was when Carol Lockwood called out a number and Elena's aunt, Jenna, came forward.

"…And bachelor number five, Damon Salvatore." There were some disappointed noises from the crowd, including an annoyed look from Carol Lockwood. Damon simply walked over to Jenna, who was looking at Alaric with disappointment.

"Hi," She sighed to Damon instead.

"It looks like you got me fair and square," He told her. She nodded.

"It's kind of weird though, seeing as you're so close to my seventeen year old niece," Jenna pointed out, and Damon was glad she was the one who'd said it. Elena had stood up and walked away, going over to Stefan, who'd just entered the Grill. He watched her go, while Jenna watched Alaric, who was stuck with the Mayor's wife.

"Jenna, let's be real," He told her, "You would rather be on a date with my buddy Alaric, and I'd rather be… well, let's say I'm not in the dating mood."

"Yeah, well… it's for a good cause." Jenna did not sound enthusiastic about this at all, and this caused Damon to crack a smile.

"How about I work a little magic?" He turned before she could question him, and headed over to where Alaric and Carol were stood, supposedly making arrangements. Damon swooped in on their conversation, putting an arm around Mrs Lockwood and giving Alaric a look before he looked down at her, "Carol, Alaric is a lucky man."

"He is?" Carol Lockwood was always easy to charm, Damon noted. He looked at Alaric.

"He is. Which is why I was wondering whether he'd let me borrow you for a minute?" Alaric looked at him uncertainly.

"Um, sure," He agreed.

"You can keep the lovely Jenna company while I just talk to the mayor about something, it's quite important," Alaric, finally understanding, though he looked surprised that Damon had done a second good deed for him today, nodded and went over to Jenna. Damon caught her eye and she gave him a wide-eyed smile of gratitude. He smirked and looked back down at Carol.

"What was it that was so important?" She asked him hopefully.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you," Damon grinned, and she blushed as he fed her the line she had been hoping for. Internally, Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well, Damon, you got the lovebirds talking," She nodded towards Alaric and Jenna, who were already laughing and deep in conversation. Jenna lit up when Alaric spoke to her and Damon could see that she was quite beautiful. He looked around for Elena and Stefan but they had disappeared somewhere.

"Damon Salvatore, services to love and dating," He quipped. Carol giggled.

"So are you going to get me a drink?" She asked him.

"Of course." He took her to the bar, passing by the Sheriff on the way. She looked at Carol as he passed and rolled her eyes and Damon had to suppress a chuckle; he had found he was often on the same page as Liz Forbes. He still couldn't spot Elena and Stefan, and he was concentrating on listening out for anything unusual even as he got the Mayor's wife a drink. Matt Donovan's mother was nearby with the date she had won, though she looked more interested in whatever was in her glass.

"Kelly Donovan," Carol had been watching where he was looking, "Trash, just like her daughter. It's a shame because Matt's a nice boy." She sniffed in a snobby way which grated on Damon.

"At least she knows how to have a good time," Damon said pointedly, and Carol went tight-lipped and embarrassed. At that moment, Elena and Stefan re-entered the Grill from outside and they looked a little shaken. He slapped some money on the bar, "Order a large one of whatever you want, I'll be back." He hurried away before she could stop him, meeting up with Elena and his brother on the other side of the Grill in a flash.

"The man who was at Trudie's house," Elena began explaining quickly just at the look on Damon's face, before he had to ask what had happened, "He was here. He told me to stop looking and then he…. He…"

"Threw himself into the oncoming traffic," Stefan finished, looking at his brother hardily. Damon swallowed, looking down at Elena, whose brown eyes were a little teary.

"I told you that she might not want to be found," Damon murmured, and Elena looked back at him, communicating silently. Stefan glanced between the two and Damon could feel his brother's irritation.

"I took his cell phone," Elena announced, and both Salvatore's groaned in unison, "I need to know… I don't know, I just _need_ to know her! She's my mother," Elena looked from one to the other, upset. Damon understood, but he also knew that looking for a vampire who didn't want to be found was a bad idea. Isobel might be her mother but she had left Elena days after giving birth and never looked back. Alaric hadn't even known she'd ever had a baby and she'd had no problem leaving him, either, to become a vampire. That wasn't great motherly material.

"Elena, if she's willing to compel people to kill themselves to keep her whereabouts a secret then I would guess that she's not the kind of person you want in your life," Damon told her.

"It's not up to _you_ , Damon." The aggression of Elena's response left him reeling. Damon opened his mouth to retaliate but Stefan shook his head.

"She's right. This is Elena's choice, Damon."

* * *

Elena didn't know how she felt as she drove home. Part of her was angry that Damon was trying to talk her out of looking for Isobel. She had thought that of the two Salvatore's, the only vampires she knew, that he would be the one most likely to support her finding her mother. He was alone, just like she was, and she had thought he might understand why this was important to her. But Damon didn't seem to care what she wanted- not even after what had happened between them. Stefan was supporting her, and she was grateful for that but she could tell that even he had reservations about this after the mystery stranger had told her to stop searching.

She was at home on the couch, furiously scribbling in her diary, when Jenna arrived home. Alaric was with her but they had obviously not expected Elena to be there.  
"Oh, hi, Elena," Jenna greeted her, looking embarrassed.

"Hey Jenna. Alaric." Elena added , closing her diary and getting to her feet, "Err, I was just going up to bed. It's been a long day…"

"Actually, Elena," Alaric stopped her, "I, uh, just found out. About Isobel being your mother." Elena, who had been halfway out the room at that point, turned around in surprise. "You know, it's kind of a tough subject for me for obvious reasons, but I'm sure there's stuff you wanna know about her so if you want to ask, well… you know where to find me." He gave her a significant look, and Elena was aware that she couldn't exactly talk vampires in front of Jenna, so she just forced a smile.

"Thanks. I'll have to think about it and get my questions in order, but I'll talk to you." She appreciated his gesture all the same. Alaric smiled a little and nodded at her, "Well, goodnight guys." Jenna was still cringing on the spot as Elena made a quick exit out of the room. As she was passing Jeremy's bedroom door on the way to her own, she poked her head around the door, which was half open. Jeremy was sitting with his laptop open, frowning at whatever was on the screen, with his headphones on. Elena waved at him and he removed the headphones, closing the laptop.

"Hey, how are you doing?" She asked her younger brother. They had been uncertain what he remembered and what he didn't about the night they opened the tomb, as he'd been unconscious for most of it, but he hadn't given any sign or clue that he knew what'd really happened and so Elena had decided not to bring it up, hoping that Damon's compulsion still held over her brother.

"Not too bad. Just, uh, getting some work done for school," He smiled.

"You left it to the last minute again, didn't you?" Elena guessed. Jeremy shrugged and laughed at himself, "I'll leave you to it then. I'm getting a semi-early night." He nodded and moved to put his headphones back on, but Elena paused and turned back to him. "Jer, can I ask you something?"

"Sure?" He looked at her questioningly. She thought about asking him what he would do; telling him about the fact she was adopted and asking whether that would change anything. Would he still be her little brother when he knew? Her heart ached at the thought of him rejecting her. But she knew eventually he would have to find out- she and Jenna had decided that now was not the right time, though.

"Don't worry about it," She said, "Goodnight, Jer."

"Goodnight, Elena."

Elena had a very disturbed nights' sleep. Lately, her nightmares had been getting better but tonight they came in full force. She woke frequently and every time, the phone she had taken from the man outside the Grill seemed to be staring at her from her desk, where she'd put it. She had thought about calling Isobel on it, had even found her number there, but she hadn't brought herself to do it yet. So, her dreams flashed between the same old fog and crow, to being surrounded by all the desiccated vampires in the tomb, to Damon kissing her and biting her. When she woke up in the morning, she was met with Damon himself sitting on the edge of her bed. He was often there, so she wasn't surprised to see him- she just wasn't sure she wanted to see him at that moment.

"We might have a problem," He told her, not even needing to look at her to know she was awake. Elena wondered how he did that- it must be the change in her breathing.

"If you're gonna sneak in on me while I'm sleeping can you at least take the bad dreams away?" Elena moaned, pulling a pillow over her eyes to stop the light getting in. Damon seized the pillow and pulled it away easily. He was leaning over her, his expression serious.

"Elena, the morning after we opened the tomb, some guy died in the woods not far from the old church." Elena stared up at him, taking this in.

"The tomb didn't seal back up properly," She concluded tiredly.

"Seems not," Damon agreed.

"You know," Elena sighed, "It'd be really nice to be woken up with good news for a change." Damon chuckled throatily at her.

"I don't have much good news right now but there is this," He told her, and kissed her on the cheek. "Now get up, you have school."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay! Sorry for the couple of days delay for this one, I know it was cruel after a cliffhanger but I've been busy! This is gonna be a kind of long authors note but, I have a few things to address:**

 **Thank you as ever to everyone who reviewed. You guys are great!**

 **To the guest who mentioned that I'm not going off canon as much as you thought. I understand totally where you're coming from, but obviously in order for it to remain The Vampire Diaries in some way and therefore have a good story, and also for it to make sense with Elena's actual life e.g. her parents dying, Isobel and so forth, then obviously lots of the events are canon. This is not an AU story, this is more an AV story – alternate version. However, hopefully you can see that things** _ **are**_ **changing. Remember, this story is based on the butterfly effect which is when a small difference leads to big changes. If this chapter isn't the proof that things are about to get very different then don't worry, you do have some surprises on the way! But thanks for the feedback in that respect, I am taking it on board and trying not to be lazy with the canon. I am trying to make this story progress as naturally as possible so you can't just throw in huge out of character things from the word go. A different Elena has already long been emerging.**

 **From next Friday up until Christmas Eve I will be on holiday in Canada. In this coming week I am going to update as much as possible, but I will be away for 12 days so I am sorry for anyone who has to wait during that period**

 **Please leave me more feedback it is really helping me to be a better author!**


	31. Fun

**Chapter Thirty-One: Fun**

"I don't remember the last time I actually had fun," Elena told Stefan as they headed into school, "Everything is so… doom and gloom lately."

"Fun, there's an idea." Stefan agreed, grimacing, "Albeit, distant memory."

"You had fun when Lexi was here," Elena remembered how carefree and light-hearted Stefan had been around her. She had gotten Stefan to speak about her since and she had come to the conclusion that Lexi was somebody who deserved respect and definitely hadn't deserved to be staked by Damon- but then, Damon had admitted as much to her, too.

"Yeah… speaking of fun, here comes the whirlwind," Stefan chuckled, pointing to Caroline, who was hurrying towards them. Elena wanted to ask about Bonnie, but she was frightened to hear the answer. Bonnie had basically vanished off the face of the earth since her Grams had died and Elena had no idea how to tackle the issue. She also didn't want to discuss it in front of Stefan.

"Hey guys! Matt and I were thinking, how about the four of us get a meal at the Grill and then maybe a late movie or something? It'd be really good for us all to hang out and have fun." Caroline said the key word without realising. Stefan and Elena glanced at each other and amusement shone in Stefan's green eyes.

"You mean like a double date?" Elena asked the blonde, who immediately became flustered as she looked from Elena to Stefan and back.

"No, I… um, you know, I just thought-"

"Caroline, it's okay," Elena laughed, "We'll be there. Right, Stefan?"

"Right. Sounds good." As they headed into the school building though, Elena wasn't sure it sounded good at all. From Caroline's text messages, Kelly wasn't being nice to her and Elena had seen for herself at the Grill the previous night that she didn't really accept that Caroline was who Matt was with now. It'd been an uncomfortable experience for all of them. Elena had an inkling that Caroline just wanted someone else there to bounce off when things got uncomfortable between herself and Matt and Elena wasn't sure that she and Stefan were necessarily the right people for the job. Stefan seemed to sense what she was thinking about though as they headed into their History class.

"Elena, I'm your friend. I know things are a little weird but we're getting there, aren't we?" He said to her.

"Yeah," Elena said a little nervously.

"So stop worrying and just enjoy hanging out with your friends."

* * *

Damon had opted to stay behind in Elena's bedroom when she headed off for school. She had asked him to take away her nightmares but the truth was, he hadn't really been sleeping himself since he had found out that Katherine had never been in that tomb. Although he tried to tell himself that she had betrayed him and that he had washed his hands of her completely, his memories of her plagued him. He found it easier to relax in Elena's bed, with her smell around him, and he dozed off for a while. When he woke up, he remembered that he had things to do and he headed home. He was not pleased to walk in and discover Pearl and Anna waiting for him.

"Hello Damon," Pearl greeted him. She looked a lot better than the last time he had seen her; she'd obviously had a few litres of blood since then and a few lessons in modern dress. Anna looked the same, insolent and impatient. Damon hated them in that moment.

"You ever heard of knocking?" He asked them.

"You weren't in," Anna pointed out.

"And an invitation wasn't necessary. I'm surprised no living person resides here- is it just you and your brother?" Pearl asked, in much the same tone as if she was inquiring about the weather.

"Yeah," Anna agreed, "How do you keep out unwelcome vampires?"

"I kill them," Damon replied easily. He could have attacked Pearl or Anna, taken them by surprise, and killed them then and there but he decided against it. Instead, he tossed back a large bourbon to calm his temper. He ran his hand through his dark hair and looked at them expectantly, "Tell me what you want or I'll be forced to remind you that you're both unwelcome. It won't be pretty."

"Look, we just came to talk to you about the situation." Anna snapped at him. Damon raised his eyebrows.

"Annabelle means our living situation. We have taken up residency at a farmhouse just outside the town," Pearl informed him.

"All twenty-five of you?" Neither of them looked surprised that he had figured out the other tomb vampires had gotten out.

"Some have left town or are elsewhere," Pearl replied, "It's quite a task, acclimating to a world that had changed so much."

"Cut the crap and tell me how the other vampires got out." Damon slammed his glass down angrily, glaring at them. Anna looked almost amused by his temper, which only made him more furious.

"The witch screwed up somehow, I don't know," Anna replied. He shot her a look that would cause a flower to wither.

"I understand that the founding families still have a secret council which you are a part of?" Pearl asked him. Damon sighed; he had a feeling that he knew where this was going. Starving vampires, revenge plots, promises and bargains that couldn't be kept. He had travelled down this road enough times himself to recognise this tactic.

"I'm not telling you anything. I'm not going to tell you who is on the council and who isn't. Bite somebody who is on vervain, tough luck. You'll offer to help me find Katherine in return- I don't want to find Katherine, she can fall off the face of the earth for all I care. You have nothing, Pearl." Quicker than he could blink, Pearl had shot across the room and knocked him to the ground easily. She held him down with one hand, watching him struggle with amusement in her eyes.

"I have four hundred years on you, little boy. My terms are non-negotiable. Do you understand?"

He understood, alright. But that didn't mean that he was going to listen.

Eventually, Stefan came home from school. He didn't even flinch at the all-too-familiar sight of Damon's agitation, he just paused in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, looking expectant.  
"The tomb vampires want to know the names of the people on the Founder's Council. They're plotting some kind of revenge."

"That's ridiculous," Stefan said, "The people alive now aren't responsible for them being locked in that tomb."

"You think I don't know that?" Damon snapped. "I think we should tell them that the tomb vampires got out."

"And if we do that we risk outing ourselves along the way." Damon sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair, "I'm gonna have to go over to this house Pearl is living in and rip her head off, aren't I? And I was just starting to clean up my bad reputation…"

"Taking on a dozen vampires alone isn't going to end well, Damon," Stefan told him, "We have to tread carefully."

"Yeah, you're right," Damon agreed reluctantly. Stefan tended to stay more calm and rational when it came to matters like this and for once he was glad he had his brother around to restrain him a little, "So. Nice day at school?" He asked meanly. Stefan rolled his eyes, standing up straight and rolling his eyes.

"It was great, actually. I have plans tonight too, courtesy of Caroline Forbes."

"What plans are these?" Damon wanted to know.

"A double non-date with her, Matt and Elena," Damon felt a ripple of annoyance that Stefan was going to be with Elena. He wasn't planning to show it, but Stefan looked at him knowingly, "I'm all for having fun but I'm not exactly a great conversationalist. I thought you'd wanna go."

"Why would I want to go on a double date with the cheerleader and the quarterback?" Damon asked derisively. Stefan looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.

"Because Elena is going to be there," He replied. Damon narrowed his eyes at Stefan, who didn't budge an inch, even raising an eyebrow as if to challenge Damon to tell him that he was wrong. Damon wanted to but he would be lying and Stefan would know it, and undoubtedly find some horrible way of proving it. After Katherine had shown herself to not care for him at all, Damon's fragile pride couldn't suffer the humiliation of Stefan succeeding in making him jealous.

"Why would you want me to go and not you?" Damon asked his brother suspiciously.

"I'd sooner have you on a date with Elena than out killing someone to blow off steam," Stefan told him, departing the room before Damon could think of an answer.

And so, a few hours later, Damon arrived at Elena's house. Jenna answered the door and looked a little surprised to see him, but was friendly enough. She told him that she'd been expecting Stefan but that Elena was getting ready. He went into the kitchen to wait.  
"I wanted to thank you, by the way," Jenna admitted, with a little embarrassment.

"For?" Damon questioned.

"Last night at the auction with Alaric," She told him, "That was nice of you."

"It was nothing," He insisted, feeling a little awkward. He wasn't used to being thought of as 'nice' and he wasn't even sure he liked it. Damon wasn't sure he'd be able to keep up the act, if that was what it was, and he didn't suit being the good guy. He was glad when Elena came down the stairs, though she looked just as surprised to see him instead of Stefan as Jenna had been.

"Oh hey," She said, "Where's Stefan?"

"He sent me along as a poor replacement," Damon grinned, standing up, "I hope you don't mind." He hated that he was actually kind of nervous. He had been on thousands of dates but never with anyone who made him question himself and everything he did as much as Elena Gilbert. She was dressed like his female counterpart tonight- a dark shirt and jeans- and she looked as beautiful as ever.

"Of course not," She smiled. It looked forced at first but then it melted into a real smile, which made her brown eyes twinkle warmly.

"Ready?" He asked her, offering his arm.

"I am," She agreed, and they made their way outside. Damon opened the passenger side of his car for her and she climbed in. He whizzed round the front of the car and got in on the driver's side. As they set off, Elena turned to him, "So did you find out about those tomb vampires?"

"I had a visit from Pearl and Anna today. It was… unpleasant," Damon admitted, "They want to know the name of every Founders Council member and who in the town is on vervain." Elena looked over at him nervously, "Look, don't worry about it. I'll stall until I figure out a way to get rid of them. But tonight, we're out to have fun right?"

"Right. Fun." Elena repeated. Damon reached over and put his hand on her wrist.

"It's going to be okay, Elena. Believe me." She looked at him uncertainly for a moment but then she nodded, placing her trust in him once more, as she had already done so many times. Damon removed his hand from her wrist.

"Be nice to Caroline and Matt, won't you?" Elena added, suddenly business-like, as they neared the Grill. Damon groaned in protest- he had at least wanted to make fun of Caroline, if nothing else.

"I can't make any promises," He replied, as he parked up.

"Damon," Elena fixed him with a look, "They're my friends. Behave yourself." He sighed and nodded grudgingly. As they got out of the car and slammed the doors shut, be muttered,

"I'm still not making any promises." Elena hit him playfully on the arm as they made their way across the street to the bar and restaurant.

* * *

They were both laughing as they entered, teasing and jokes flying between them, until they came up to the table that Caroline and Matt had occupied and Elena spotted the look on Caroline's face. She looked displeased to see Damon, rather than Stefan, accompanying Elena. She frowned, narrowing her blue eyes at Elena, who could only shrug. Damon's most dazzling smile was on his face.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you again, Matt," He said, offering his hand out to Matt, who shook it.

"Hey man, what's up?" Matt did a better job of hiding his surprise than Caroline. Elena and Damon took their seats and Elena picked up a menu, suddenly nervous. Why hadn't Stefan come out like they had planned? Why had he sent his brother along instead? Caroline was obviously thinking along the same lines.

"Where's Stefan?" She demanded rudely.

"He has an essay of some type due," Damon excused vaguely. Caroline looked disbelieving but she couldn't ask many questions in front of Matt. Elena was still unsure how much Caroline knew about Damon and Stefan; at one point it had seemed that sometimes she knew they were vampires and sometimes she didn't, but she hadn't mentioned anything of the sort for a while and so Elena assumed she was either pretending it wasn't happening or that Damon had compelled her to forget; either way, she wasn't going to press the subject. Bonnie had done a disappearing act since her Grams had died and Elena had an uncomfortable notion that she was angry with all three of them- herself, Damon and Stefan- for what had happened that night.

"What do you do, man?" Matt asked, to cover the nasty silence. Elena shot him a grateful look.

"Me? I drink for a living," Damon joked, then he seemed to realise this didn't go down well. Elena saw Matt glance towards the bar and noticed that Kelly was sitting up at it, propping it up as ever. "I'm kidding. I have a few good investments here and there, keeps me busy enough."

"So like property?" Matt looked impressed.

"Sure, I have a few properties dotted around the place. You work here, don't you?" Damon asked in return. Elena was glad that he was at least being civil with Matt, even if Caroline clearly planned on making it difficult for him.

"Yeah. It's not too bad." Matt shrugged.

"Hey Elena, need to go wash up before we order?" Caroline chirped suddenly. Her mouth was smiling but her eyes were informing the world that this was not a request but an order.

"Sure," Elena cast a significant look at Damon before following Caroline out to the bathroom. The blonde checked under the doors of every stall for feet before she turned to face Elena.

"What the hell are you doing?" Caroline demanded, "You brought _Damon_?"

"Stefan couldn't make it so he asked Damon to, I don't know, fill in. It's not a big deal."

"Elena, Damon Salvatore _is_ a big deal. He's a psychopath! A hot psychopath, sure, but a psycho none the less!" Caroline was getting worked up just talking about him, "Look, I know you told me before that there's nothing going on but- is there?" Elena had her 'no' ready, but then she remembered him feeding from her, and everything else that had transpired, and she realised that she wasn't quite so sure of her answer anymore.

"Look, Damon is not that bad once you really get to know him. He didn't want me to have to come on a date with my best friend and, you know, _my ex-boyfriend_ on my own like a giant gooseberry just because Stefan was busy," Elena knew that playing the ex-boyfriend card was a low blow and she felt guilty for it, but all the same, it worked. Caroline's face cleared immediately.

"I totally put my foot in it again didn't I? My God, I'm sorry Elena, I didn't even think about it that way!" Caroline told her.

"Care, it's fine, just… do you think you could maybe try to get on with Damon? Just for tonight? He's on his best behaviour," Elena pleaded. Caroline looked a little worried.

"I'll try. I will, I just… he rubs me up the wrong way. I can't make any promises." Elena repressed a smile at the irony of Caroline and Damon both saying the same thing. Instead, she just reached out and squeezed Caroline's arm, grateful.

"Thanks for trying, Care." They headed back out to the Grill. On the way, Elena passed Jenna, who was now at the bar with Kelly Donovan. She recalled that Kelly used to babysit Jenna and that they had become friends once Jenna grew up a bit. She smiled at the sight of her aunt with a drink, not having seen Jenna really let her hair down and enjoy herself in quite a while. They headed back to the table. Damon and Matt were also watching the two women, the first with interest and the latter with annoyance and disappointment.

"So that's your mom, huh?" Damon asked, as the girls resettled themselves.

"Yeah," Matt sighed, turning back to the table with a troubled expression.

"At least they're having fun," Caroline volunteered half-heartedly.

"They'll be drunk soon," Elena added. As they ate, the four of them chatted casually. Despite their misgivings, Caroline and Damon were being civil and Matt was his usual charming self. He and Elena discussed their childhoods a little, though Elena found it hard to think back to that distant version of herself whilst sat beside Damon. Every now and then his arm brushed hers and she felt back of her neck tingle with excitement. He caught her eye a few times and smirked at her. After a few rounds of pool, Elena had to go to the bathroom, skirting the now intoxicated parental units. It was on her way back when it happened.

She didn't notice the man sitting at the other end of the bar, but as Elena was heading back to the table, he caught her attention when he grabbed her arm. She tried to pull out of his grip but he was too strong and so she looked at him properly.  
"Katherine?" The shock of being called that name allowed her to wrench her arm out of his grip, though she managed to somehow keep her face politely confused.

"I'm sorry," She told the man, "You have the wrong person."

"My mistake," He said apologetically, looking away, and Elena nodded, hurrying back to the pool table. Caroline and Matt were laughing happily as they played, while Damon was stood with drink in hand, watching. He looked around as she approached and he must have seen that something was wrong in her expression because he turned to her.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked her. Elena shook her head and pulled out her phone. She typed out a message and texted it to Damon, who took his own phone out and looked at it: _**That man over there called me Katherine.**_ Damon turned quickly to the bar and Elena followed suit, but the man was already gone. They looked at each other uneasily.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing," They both answered quickly.

* * *

 **A/N: I feel like this chapter might have been a bit boring and I apologise, but it's filler and the next chapter is going to be more interesting Delena-wise. Saying that, I have them spending a lot of time together lately so that should be a good thing right? Anyway, thanks as usual to everyone who reviewed, please don't hesitate to drop me a line if you haven't already!**


	32. Rescue Mission

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Rescue Mission**

"I don't want him to ruin the night," Elena whispered so that only Damon could hear as she leant over with the pool cue to take a shot. He stepped up behind her.

"You'll never hit it that way," He told her loudly for Matt and Caroline's benefit, before leaning over her to help redirect her aim. Elena found it very difficult to care about the man calling her Katherine when Damon's hands brushed over hers. The memory of the previous night, with Damon kissing her, completely took over for a second and she had to blink for the image of the white in front of her to be what she actually saw. Damon was murmuring in her ear, "We stick around for as long as seems natural and then get you home, and these two as well."

"Guys, get a room," Caroline joked. Matt was also watching Elena and Damon's closeness. Elena swallowed loudly and Damon stepped away from her quickly. She potted the black she'd been aiming for easily, then stood up and looked over to the bar. Kelly was flirting with a random guy, and Jenna was nowhere to be seen, obviously having left. Every now and then, Kelly cast jealous looks over in their direction and Elena realised she was hell-bent on attracting Damon's attention. She was quite smug that it wasn't working.

"One more round and we head off?" Elena suggested. Matt and Caroline followed her eye-line and Matt groaned at the sight of his mother leaning in to whisper something in the guy's ear.

"Yes, before we realise we're living in gross-ville," Caroline agreed whole-heartedly. Damon snorted at Matt's misfortune but Elena elbowed him and he hastily assumed an expression which might be appropriate for a funeral. The following game was between Caroline and Damon, which was fortunate because Damon was a lot better than Caroline and thus it ended quickly.

"We'll have to do this again sometime," Matt said, shaking Damon's hand.

"I had a surprisingly nice time," Caroline added to Elena, glancing at Damon. Elena shrugged.

"I told you he'd be on his best behaviour," She grinned.

"You do seem to bring out something like the good in him, if good even exists in Damon Salvatore," Caroline frowned, "You know, I don't remember why I don't like him? I just know that I don't." Elena looked at Damon, who was looking through his phone, realising what he had done; he had forced Caroline to forget everything but stay hating him, probably protecting her from danger in future- at least, for now.

"I'll see you at school, Care," Elena waved her and Matt off as they declared they were heading off for a drive. Once they were out the door though, her smile dropped and she turned to face Damon.

"Who _was_ that guy?" She asked him, "Did you recognise him?"

"From 1864? No, but I wasn't on first name terms with every vampire in town back then. If he wasn't in a Founding Family or staff in their houses I wouldn't have associated with them. Social class was a big thing back then," Damon answered her seriously, "We need to get you home." Elena sighed as she sat back in Damon's car. Fleeing the scene was becoming a daily occurrence in her life lately and she didn't like it one bit.

"So much for fun," She muttered.

"Sorry," Damon told her, sounding bitter, "Meeting me really screwed up your chances of a normal, happy life didn't it?" Elena could see that his grip on the steering wheel seemed very tight and she frowned, not understanding how things had taken such a turn.

"Damon, this isn't your fault," Elena said, "It's not your fault I look like _her_."

"I only didn't kill you that night on the road because you look like her," Damon replied darkly, "Don't forget what I really am, Elena."

"But I'm _not_ her and you're still here, Damon. I think I know what you are better than you think." Suddenly, Damon braked hard, causing Elena to jolt forward in her seat, the seatbelt pushing her back again just as quickly. Winded, she looked at him. He was glaring at her intensely, seeming angry.

"That vampire probably recognised you, Damon, even if you don't know who he is. And you are the one standing in the way of those tomb vampires getting their revenge. So, for a second, stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself! I am sick of hearing you blame yourself for everything and beating yourself up for things that can't be helped! I look like Katherine- that's not your fault. The tomb didn't seal them back in- _not your fault_! Katherine not being in there- _not your fault_! The fact Isobel Flemming is my mother? Not your fault!" She shouted the final three words then. Damon stared at her wordlessly. Elena slumped back in her seat, looking out the front window instead of at Damon. "Take me to yours," Elena told him quietly. And, silently, Damon drove on, taking a turning which led them away from Elena's house and towards the Salvatore Boarding House.

They didn't speak for the entire ride to the house. Elena glanced at Damon out of the corner of her eye every now and then, wondering whether she was beginning to regret her outburst. He didn't look back at her once. They pulled neatly into the driveway and Damon shut off the engine. Elena made a move to get out but Damon was out and around the other side the car to open the door before she could do it herself.  
"The date isn't over yet," Damon told her, offering her his hand. Elena, confused, took it and let him help her out of the car. He let go of her hand to close the door and Elena took a step towards the house, but Damon whirled her around by the waist and, before she could so much as take a breath, he kissed her.

As with every kiss between them, Elena felt electricity spreading through her body. She moved her hand up to his face to hold his cheek. She felt the warmth of her hand spreading into his skin and Damon's grip on her tightened, moving her so that her body was pressed against his. All that was missing was pouring rain to make the scene Hollywood-worthy. When they had to come up for air, Damon didn't let her go, he just rested his forehead against hers.  
"Is it over now?" Elena whispered.

"I hope not," Damon replied. He took her hand again and they headed up to the house. Elena felt a little giddy as they reached the porch. She reached out to open the door but Damon stopped her and kissed her again, earning a breathy laugh from Elena. But even as she kissed him back, Damon froze like a statue and his attention shifted unwillingly away from her and towards the house. Suddenly, he was propelling her through the door and then moving in front of her, his shoulders squared as if ready for a fight. They entered the living room to find a most unwelcome sight: Stefan was stood over the body of a woman- a dead vampire woman, Elena saw. She was completely grey and had a stake sticking out of her heart. Behind them, the vampire who had mistaken Elena for Katherine stood.

He looked ready to pounce until he looked at Damon. He then glanced back to Stefan and fled, smashing through a window and into the night. They all stood shell-shocked for a minute, but then Elena managed to speak:

"We have to deal with the body."

It almost felt like nothing out of the ordinary had happened over the next few days. Elena had dragged the body of the vampire, who Stefan identified as a woman named Bethanne, into the fire and then gone home. The next day she had gone back to school and acted as if nothing had happened. Jeremy seemed cagey too, though she had no idea what that was about. She almost didn't want to know; Elena wasn't sure her mind could take in any more unwanted information. With the tomb vampires on the loose in the town anything horrific seemed possible and frankly, she didn't want to imagine how much danger they were all in- the Founding families, Damon and Stefan, herself for being Katherine's doppelganger. That was all that stopped the mundanity seeming passable- the constant anxiety.

Damon didn't try to call her, and she didn't try to call him. Elena didn't have a word or a name for what was going on between them but she did know that when he wasn't there to take over every thought and feeling, whatever it was scared her. Damon's presence seemed to consume her completely until all she could think about, or care about, was him. She was a different person around him and she didn't know who that person was. She didn't want him to go from her life, but she needed some space to evaluate her situation. Even without a label, her feelings for Damon were more intense than anything she'd ever felt before and Elena had to learn to process that for herself.

Of course, with the life she had been stuck with, it was impossible to avoid Damon forever. She had just finished closing all the windows in her house against the storm that was brewing when her phone rang for the fifth time. She had looked at the screen to see Damon's name flash up at her on each ring but Elena had the genius idea that she would allow herself time away from him. She seemed to have spent every waking moment with Damon Salvatore since they had opened the tomb and space would be healthy. Apparently Damon had other ideas though because the doorbell rang seconds after the sixth missed call. Elena opened it to find herself face to face with the man himself.

"You're ignoring me," He stated, pushing his way into the house.

"My phone died," Elena tried to make her lie sound sincere but it didn't work.

"Is Stefan here?" Damon demanded, and the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach began to grow.

"No… why?"

"He went hunting in the woods and he hasn't come back. I can't get him on his phone so I figured he might have come here to see you." Elena pulled out her phone and searched through her contacts, hitting 'call' on Stefan's number. It didn't even ring.

"It's going straight to voicemail."

* * *

"The farmhouse is owned by a Mrs Gibbons," Elena had managed to pull this information out of the internet while Damon paced impatiently. He wanted to go charging round to the house but Elena insisted on acting rationally and getting all the facts before he set off. All he could think about was the fact that the sadistic tomb vampires had his brother. Stefan had to have been taken by force, or he would have gotten back to one of them by now. He watched as Elena scrolled down through the page, reading about the house. He had avoided her since they'd staked Bethanne, horribly aware of the fact that the pair hadn't even been able to manage one normal night out. He thought that if Stefan had gone on that double date like he was supposed to then things might have turned out differently. As it was though, he had actually managed to befriend Matt Donovan, almost make it back into Caroline's good graces, and shared an exciting kiss with Elena. If it wasn't for the mention of Katherine and the attempted (and successful) murders, things might have been perfect. Things never would be for Elena as long as he was in her life.

"If Mrs Gibbons is alive you won't be able to get in the house," Elena told Damon, looking at him frankly, "They will have compelled her to keep you out. So I'll get in the house and get Stefan…"

"No way," Damon snapped.

"Damon, it's the only way we can…"

"No. You are not going into that house with a bunch of sadistic and hungry tomb vampires. How do you expect to save Stefan after they've ripped out your throat?"

"Fine. You give me your blood first. Then if anything happens I'll be alive." But Damon knew that Elena was far from keen on the idea of actually becoming a vampire even if she never said so.

"And then they'll kill you again," Damon said angrily, " _If_ something happens? _Of course_ something will happen if you go in there!"

"I could pretend to be Katherine," He actually paused for a second at this idea. He knew Elena was tougher than she looked, and it might work if they didn't look too closely… but the other vampires were not going to be pleased with Katherine Pierce for managing to escape captivity while they'd been left to desiccate for 145 years. She'd be in even more danger than she already was as a human if she went in pretending to be Katherine.

"You could never pull Katherine off," He told her, "You have the face for it but the big doe eyes and timid manner would be a massive giveaway. Katherine was more… evil," He finished decisively. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I don't go in and Stefan stays in there to rot."

"No, I have a better idea," Damon announced, a stroke of genius coming to him, "We pay a visit to our old friend Alaric Saltzman."

So, they headed to the High School. It was after hours but there were a few after school activities scheduled in on most days, and Alaric was, according to Jenna, always staying behind late to mark work and brood. Elena and Damon eventually found him in a corridor and, once in his classroom, explained the entire situation to him. It took some pleading but they eventually managed to persuade him- Damon told him that Pearl might be able to find Isobel. Elena's breath stuttered when he said this and Damon cursed himself for the momentary lapse in memory. As they headed out to Alaric's car, the wind swirled around them, reminding them of the coming storm. Damon looked up at the sky, taking it as pathetic fallacy for the task they had ahead of themselves. But when he looked down, Elena was looking at him.

"Pearl told me she could find Katherine. Isobel is a descendent of Katherine, and now we know she's out there somewhere… it's just a hunch, but Isobel liked to do her research. Looking for Katherine might lead to Isobel… would probably lead to Isobel sooner than it would to Katherine," Damon told her, but then regretted this even more when Elena looked hurt.

"You want to find Katherine," She concluded in a soft voice.

"No." Damon said immediately, "I don't. _I don't_ , Elena. Please, believe me." As he said it, Damon thought about his own words, trying to test whether he felt if they were true. He was still heartbroken by Katherine not being in the tomb, but the pain had subsided into more anger than anything. Katherine was, genuinely, for the first time in over 145 years, not top of his priority list at that moment. "Elena, I only said that to get Alaric to agree to help us just… please. We need to get Stefan." Elena swallowed and nodded. Alaric then called them over to show them the collection of vampire hunting weapons he kept in the trunk of his car. Amongst other things there were tranquiliser darts full of vervain and vervain grenades. Damon gave those a wide berth.

They parked a few minutes up the road, out of sight of the large farmhouse that Pearl and the other tomb vampires had taken up residence in. The three of them hopped out of Alaric's car. During the course of the drive it had started to rain, and not just a little. The heavens had truly opened and the three of them were drenched the second they got out of the car, soaked through the bone. Lightning flashed every so often and thunder followed it boomingly. Alaric grabbed weapons and Damon began to lead the way towards the house, but then he noticed Elena was following.  
"What are you doing?" He demanded of her, coming to a standstill.

"I'm coming." She told him firmly. He laughed at her.

"No, you're not. Get back in the car."

"No, it's Stefan, there is no way you are leaving me here," Elena argued.

"Yes way, there is, now stop acting crazy and get in the damn car before you freeze to death out here," Damon ordered. Elena glared up at him and he glared right back. Neither was budging.

"I'll get in. You distract them while I get Stefan out," She spoke with enough confidence to make Damon mad. He was not going to allow this in a million years and he looked at Alaric, knowing the teacher would back him up on this.

"We don't know how many vampires are in there. I can't concentrate on protecting you while I'm trying to save my brother. That will just end in all of us dead. You stay here, get in the damn car, and wait."

"He's right, Elena," Alaric added. Damon nodded.

"No," Elena was getting so frustrated that she actually stamped her foot. Damon growled with rage and grabbed her, dragging her back to the car, shoving her in and slamming the door shut behind her. Elena protested all the way back about having rights and freedom but he ignored all of this.

"You can be our getaway driver. You won't be any help to us in that house." He turned and stalked off with Alaric in tow faster than Elena could hope to catch up. As they walked towards the house in the pouring rain, Alaric kept looking at Damon strangely, as if he was going to say something. Damon ignored this as best he could until he eventually snapped. "What?" He demanded.

"You really care about her," Alaric shrugged, "Honestly I didn't think vampires were capable." Damon sighed, ignoring this.

"I'm going round the back. You get in, you stake whoever gets in your way with as little commotion as possible. You get the woman, you make her invite me in, then Bob's your uncle, I'm in and I can get Stefan out." Damon relayed the plan one final time, glad that the sound of the heavy rain would mask them from being heard by any long-range vampire hearing. Alaric nodded stonily, determination in his eye, and Damon slipped off around the back of the house to wait on the back porch.

Alaric was more efficient at this than Damon had given him credit for. It wasn't too long before the back door opened and Alaric appeared with the homely woman who owned the house, Mrs Gibbons.  
"Oh, I'm sorry," She said to Alaric sweetly, "He's not allowed in the house."

"I know that. But you've gotta make an exception," Alaric told her. Mrs Gibbons looked genuinely sorry, a fact Damon didn't allow himself to notice. He had a feeling he was going to have to kill her and he didn't want the fact she was a nice person to register because he didn't want to have to feel guilty. She was an innocent bystander in this.

"Get her out of the house," Damon said, and Alaric shoved her gently forward a few steps so that Mrs Gibbons was over the threshold, "Now, tell me the truth. Are you married?" Damon was compelling her now.

"No," Mrs Gibbons replied. He allowed this to ease his conscience a little bit, as did the fact she answered to his other questions, which assured him that she was alone and had nobody who was going to miss her- most likely the reason that Pearl had chosen her house in particular. Damon snapped her neck easily in one smooth, clean motion. Her body crumpled to the floor. Alaric looked appalled but Damon gave him no time to comment.

"Get out of here and get rid of the body," He told the teacher, before shoving past him and into the house.

* * *

Elena was furious at sitting in the car, powerless, while Alaric and Damon were off playing the heroes. She felt useless. No amount of danger concerned her so much as the kind of pain Stefan might be in- or worse, that they might kill him. He was one of her closest friends and she didn't want to lose him, not because of something she had helped make possible- the freeing of the vampires from the tomb. She reached for a syringe full of vervain that she had managed to sneak out whilst Rick was arming himself with weapons. If she stabbed a vampire with it, it'd knock them out. A loud crash made her jump in fear, and the car jolted around her violently. But it was only that a branch had fallen from one of the trees above the car and landed on the windshield. Nerves wound up too tightly to just stay where she was and wait, Elena made up her mind and darted out of the car and towards the house, relieved that the rain had briefly subsided.

Somehow, Elena found herself heading down some stairs to a cellar. She had heard a vampire address two others called Billy and Jacob, and she thought it might have been the guy she'd seen at the Salvatore Boarding House, whose girlfriend Stefan had staked. The thought had made her shiver but she kept going. After breaking a window, she managed to get through a locked door which led to a hallway. At the other end, Elena could see a man standing guard by another door. Hidden in the shadows, she prepared the syringe of vervain in her hand and held her breath, ready to hurl herself out and strike, but before she could get there, Damon was in front of her, breaking the man's neck. As he crumpled to the floor uselessly, Damon turned to her.

"Elena what the hell are you doing?"

"Look, ssh, Stefan must be in there." She pointed to the door behind them and Damon nodded, giving up the argument for now. Damon opened the door and Elena followed him in to witness a horrific scene. Stefan and another vampire were tied up and staked down, unable to move, hissing and grunting in pain every time they tried. Stefan's eyes widened when he saw Elena and his brother.

"Elena, you shouldn't… be here…" Stefan told her.

"Oh we've been over this, brother." Damon looked at the way Stefan was hanging from the ceiling, then at the other vampire. He had a stake ready in his hand, Elena noticed.

"No! No, leave him, not him," Stefan hurried to defend the other vampire. Damon sighed and headed to untie his brother instead, "There's vervain on the ropes," Stefan warned. Damon rolled his eyes and turned to Elena but she was already there. She pulled at a loose rope hanging down, and the whole knot collapsed, Stefan falling to the floor with a moan of pain. Damon made to lead the way out again but Stefan and Elena headed over to the other vampire, pulling the stakes that were holding him down out of his legs. Stefan himself was unsteady on his feet and Elena had to help support him as they got out of the room.

"Can you get him in the car?" Damon asked Elena as they reached the hallway. He was looking at the vampire whose neck he had slapped. He would be stirring any moment, Elena realised.

"Yeah," She puffed out under the duress of bearing most of Stefan's weight.

"Alright, go. You rescue and I'll distract." Elena stopped, looking up at him, not liking this part of his plan any more than she'd liked being left in the car.

"Damon," She said softly.

"No," He snapped, "Just go, Elena."

It was hard work but Elena eventually managed to get Stefan out of the house and along the road. Twice, they fell down, once resulting in Elena cutting her hand on a jagged rock. It stung a little but she hardly paid any mind to it. Most of her was concentrating on getting Stefan back to the car, and a large part of her mind was worrying about Damon back at the house. She couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to him, not on the way out after they had done what they intended to do. After much dragging and strained reassurances of it not being much further, Elena managed to get Stefan to the car. She put him in the passenger side and walked around to the driver's side. It was then that she saw the ignition was missing. Pandemonium followed, and somehow Elena found herself stabbing the vampire from the Salvatore house with the syringe of vervain. He had staked Stefan with the branch that had fallen on the car before. Alaric must have gone back to the house when he realised Elena was gone, which meant…

"Stefan…" She pleaded, "Stefan!" She yanked the branch out of him and he moaned, coughing. She looked around, scared, but the road and the woods it merged into were dark and quiet. Elena sat beside Stefan and prayed that he would heal in time before the vampire woke up. Stefan muttered something about 'Frederick', and Elena supposed that was the vampire's name. Damon and Alaric didn't make a reappearance and she had used her only weapon against the vampire once.

He began to stir and Elena panicked, fear gripping her. He would kill her in the blink of an eye, and then most likely stake Stefan in the heart, too. She would never see Jenna again, or Jeremy, or Bonnie, or Caroline, or Damon… Damon… Elena noticed the cut on her hand from where she'd fallen.  
"Stefan…" She said, holding the cut up to his mouth, "Stefan, here… drink…" He tried to refuse, turning his head away, but glancing over her shoulder Elena could see that Frederick was waking up properly now. "Stefan!" She forced the cut against his mouth. The blood touched his lips and Stefan opened his mouth, drinking.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay so this was a really long chapter! I realise that the part with the farmhouse is pretty much the same as canon but it is a really integral part of the story and I didn't want to leave it out, but at the same time didn't want to drag it out into future chapters. I hope that the little Elena and Damon kiss helped compensate for this! Anyway, as usual, thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are great! Please drop me some more feedback, and new people obviously are welcome too :)**


	33. Jeremy's Paper

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Jeremy's Paper**

The news came through as Elena and Stefan were sat back at the boarding house. Elena was shell-shocked at having seen what Stefan had become once he'd drank her blood: he'd killed Frederick brutally, staking him repeatedly in the heart until Elena had stopped his frenzy. He hadn't been able to stop apologising since then. That was when Jeremy called Elena; Caroline had been stranded out in the rain and fallen down a slope in the woods. There, she had discovered Vicki Donovan's body.

"I have to go," She told Stefan, ending the call. He looked stricken; he had, after all, been the one who staked Vicki. But he nodded.

"Keep safe," He wished her. Elena trusted that he would tell her when Damon was back, but her mind was full of sympathy for Matt. This hellish night seemed like it was never going to end. Caroline had seemed at a loss for what she could do when Elena arrived at the Donovan residence. Kelly was sitting in the corner, crying, while Matt looked lost. Elena didn't stay long, knowing that Matt preferred to be alone during times of grief. She felt terribly sorry about what had happened to Vicki; she remembered the night she had died. Stefan would never had staked her if she hadn't tried to attack Elena.

She went home with Jeremy, who was quiet the whole time. He wouldn't even look at her.  
"Jer," She said, as they went through the front door, "Are you okay?"

"I'm gonna go get some sleep," He replied, leaving Elena alone.

* * *

Damon surmised what had happened when he came home to find that Stefan had emptied every blood bag in the house. He also realised the extent of how bad this was immediately- the incessant exercising and need to burn off steam just confirmed things. His brother had never learned to control himself when feeding from humans. Stefan believed that he could not drink human blood without ripping people apart, killing them in the process. He thought he was doing himself and the world a favour by only drinking animal blood; he had successfully managed to stay off of human blood for a long time now, not having a single relapse. While Damon preferred annoying, righteous but sane Stefan to crazy, bloodthirsty and murderous Stefan, he also knew that Stefan could have learned to feed normally if he had been around to help him. Stefan had needed him, but Damon had not been ready to begin to forgive him when they first became vampires. And so, Stefan had become a Ripper.

Stefan insisted he was fine. He had it under control, he wasn't going to rip anyone's head off, all the same thing. Damon wanted to believe him, but he realised he'd have to keep an eye on his brother's progress.

"Stefan," Damon told him one morning when he was awoken for the fifth day in a row by loud music and Stefan's grunts as he did pull-ups in his room, "I just wanted to remind you that Lexi is dead," He switched the music off then with some relief.

"I know. You killed her." Stefan's voice was stoic but he seemed otherwise quite chipper.

"Yeah, so she isn't going to be around to pull you out of whatever blood and guts you find yourself knee-deep in when you get out of control," Damon pointed out.

"I don't need her. I'm not going to get out of control. I'm fine." Stefan kept repeating this mantra as if saying it over and over again would make it true.

"Self-detox isn't natural, just drink," Damon held up his glass of blood. It was a cruel tactic, but fool-proof: as long as Stefan was tempted by human blood he knew that Stefan was not in control. Stefan when on the wagon showed almost no draw to human blood.

"Can you get that away from me?" Stefan dropped down and started doing push ups. Damon rolled his eyes.

"You know, you don't have to kill to feed, that's what blood banks are for, Stef." Stefan ignored this, "So when are you going back to school?"

"Soon," Stefan told him vaguely. Damon sighed.

"As soon as you're weaned off. Which took, how long exactly, last time?" He added.

"Look, I'll get there, it just takes a little bit of time. I'm dealing with it in my own way." Damon took a sip of blood at this and watched his brother pushing himself.

"Right," He placed the glass down on a table. "Well, while you drain yourself of any strength you have and chase after rabbits and squirrels, I'll carry on being boring and keeping a low profile whilst I figure out a way to get rid of the tomb vampires. Have a nice day, Stefan." Damon departed the room with some satisfaction, though he stopped outside the door and waited for a minute, before he ducked back in. Sure enough, Stefan was frozen, staring at the glass of blood.  
"Oops, almost forgot this," Damon said, picking up the blood and leaving the room. Stefan definitely wasn't in control.

Damon had a busy day ahead, firstly with a Founders Council reunion and then with the Founders Day kick-off party. He was looking forward to the first because he needed to find out how much the Founders knew about the tomb vampires. He'd hardly managed to snatch more than a few seconds of conversation with Sheriff Forbes as of late and he needed to know the human position on the matter. He wasn't particularly interested in the party, except that he knew he had to go. Everybody else would be there and so he would have no excuse for deciding to stay at home and drink himself to sleep like he really wanted.

When he arrived at the Founders Hall he was surprised to see a new face. The newcomer had light brown hair, blue eyes and a look of smugness about him. He eyed Damon up as he entered the room.  
"The coroner's office has officially ruled Vicki Donovan's death a drug overdose," Sheriff Forbes announced to the council in a business-like manner, "The family has been notified, the truth will stay in this room and we can put this behind us."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Mayor Lockwood said, "And on a more pressing issue, John Gilbert has asked to say a few words." Damon looked at the newcomer, surprised. Gilbert? As John began his speech, Damon shifted closer to the Sheriff.

"He's a Gilbert?" He muttered into her ear.

"Elena's uncle. His name is John but I call him Jackass," She murmured. Damon nodded, not needing to second guess Liz's judgement on the guy- his manner was irritating and sanctimonious. John explained that there had been several break ins to a blood bank in Amherst.

"Seven hunters, four campers and two state employees have been reported missing as well," John went on, "All within a seventy-five mile radius of Mystic Falls." His tone was grave when he said this, but the Mayor quickly stepped in.

"Okay, okay, no need to get alarmed right at this moment," He said hurriedly.

"Meaning he doesn't want to cancel the Founders Day Kick-Off Party," Sheriff Forbes muttered to Damon, who sniggered. Her commentary was the only thing that often made these meetings bearable. One thing was for sure, though: they at least knew that there were more vampires on the loose in the local vicinity, which wasn't good.

"You think all of your problems are over but I'm here to tell you that nothing's been solved," John finished to the room. Damon grimaced: this was bad.

* * *

Elena looked grimly down at the paper that Alaric had handed her. Jeremy had written it on the subject of vampires in Mystic Falls.  
"He's very clear that he didn't think it was real," Alaric told Elena, though he still looked concerned. Elena swallowed.

"I've done so much to protect him from all of this," Elena said throatily, "I really hope you're right." This was all too much, right on top of Jeremy finding out about Vicki, the very reason she'd had to have his knowledge of vampires compelled away. What if the new grief had broken through the compulsion, like the accident had broken through hers?

"Elena," Alaric began, "How do you deal with lying and keeping secrets from everyone you know?" She looked up at him, surprised at the question. She hadn't spoken properly to Alaric since they had rescued Stefan together and he had realised just how much she knew about the vampires.

"It's not safe for them to know the truth," Elena answered.

"If they knew you were lying they'd be hurt," Alaric pointed out in turn. Elena thought of Jeremy again, and Jenna, and Caroline and Matt and Tyler and all her other friends. It wasn't that they didn't deserve to know; but they deserved to be safe. Damon had taken a huge risk when he told Elena, and she didn't think he would have done if she hadn't realised something was wrong with her memories of the night she'd met him. He was risking his own life as well as hers by telling her his secret.

"I would rather they hate me for loving them enough to want to protect them than for them to end up dead." Elena met his gaze unflinchingly when she spoke these words. Slowly, Alaric nodded.

"Fine," He said, "I just wanted to know where exactly you stood with it all. I think Stefan's a good guy…"

"And Damon?" Elena could sense his name in the offing. Alaric hesitated.

"I want to say that he isn't a good guy," He admitted finally, after a while of thinking, "But I don't know how right I'd be. Just… they're both still vampires." Elena nodded, understanding Alaric's reluctance but knowing where she stood on the subject.

"They're both a lot more than just vampires." On her way out of the school and going to her car, Elena's thoughts drifted back to Jeremy. She had kept hold of the paper he'd written and she had to admit that she was more than a little concerned. Before she'd met Damon and Stefan she'd had no idea that Mystic Falls had a supernatural history of any kind, supernatural or otherwise, so why Jeremy would choose such an obscure subject to write his paper on was a real mystery to her. She was glad Alaric had shown her the paper- and she was also glad because he was the first person she had come across who said anything about Damon other than that he was bad. Alaric obviously saw a glimmer of what Elena saw, even if he was reluctant to admit it.

Once home, she decided to ask the only person she could ask about Jeremy, that being the one who had compelled him in the first place. It took a while but Damon eventually arrived at her house. Elena opened the door to find him leaning casually against the door frame. Her breath caught- his eyes looked extra bright then and he seemed to smoulder at her.  
"Good, you're here," She said to him.

"You ask, I come. I'm easy like that," Damon smirked. Elena pointed to the stairs. "No, Elena, I will not go to your bedroom with you!" He called loudly, for the benefit of Jeremy, who was sitting in the kitchen eating. Jeremy heard and looked up, rolling his eyes at them. Elena grabbed Damon's arm and he laughed as she marched him up the stairs.

The light was off in her bedroom and so the only light that was coming in was the last slithers of sunlight which crept in through the gap in her curtains. Damon entered the room first and Elena closed the door behind her. When she turned back around, Damon was inches away from her.  
"That's better," He whispered, kissing her.

Elena couldn't have told you what this thing was with Damon anymore. They had gone on that single, strange double-date with Caroline and Matt that had ended in disaster, and in public they did nothing to indicate that they were a couple. They hadn't, in fact, discussed this at all. But every time they were alone together it was like they couldn't keep their hands or lips to themselves. Elena had decided that she was in no mood to label it soon, especially not when there was a chance that Damon would still go looking for Katherine. She only hoped that she could erode the memory of Katherine away a little with each kiss. If Damon had taught her anything though, it was to enjoy the small, fun moments life gave her.

Before she knew quite what was happening, she was on the bed and her clothes were rapidly disappearing. Damon had this ability to make her mind go blissfully blank when she was with him…  
"Damon," She gasped out between kisses, "Damon, I needed to talk to you about Jeremy…"

"You want to talk about your brother right now?" He asked her, pausing so that his face was hovering just above hers. Elena sighed, realising he was right, and flipped them over so that she was on top of him. He grinned up at her, and Elena moved down his body, kissing the pale skin of his neck, chest and stomach... until her phone started ringing. Neither of them paid it any mind at first, but after it rang out once it started ringing again, and by the third round of rings both Elena and Damon had had enough. Breathing heavily, they stopped.

"Just answer the damn thing," Damon told her. Elena sighed and picked up.

"Hello, Caroline."

"Elena, why did it take you so long to pick up?" Caroline wanted to know, "Look, I'm back in Mystic Falls from my dad's and I wanted to make sure you're ready for the Miss Mystic Falls competition tomorrow." Damon rolled his eyes at Elena when he overheard that part and she had to stifle a giggle.

"Sure. I'm ready. Um, Caroline, this isn't really a good time-"

"I know you're probably getting ready for the Kick-Off Party. I am too, I'm trying to decide what to wear," Caroline informed her, "Have you decided?"

"No," Elena replied, "Caroline, listen, can I call you back?"

"Oh," Caroline said, "Sure. Um, bye, Elena."

"See you, Care." Once she'd ended the call, Elena flung her phone back onto her bedside table, looking down at Damon, upon whom she was still perched. He smirked up at her.

"Ready to carry on where we left off?" Elena was very tempted, especially when he ran his hands up her bare thighs and caused her to shiver with anticipation. She had never physically wanted anyone as badly as she wanted him and it was very difficult to resist his advances.

"There was actually a reason I called you here," She told him sheepishly. Damon sighed and flipped her so that she was lying on her back while he was propped up on his elbow beside her. He took his index finger and began to trace around her belly-button with it.

"Hm?" She told him about Jeremy's report on vampires.

"Why would he write a report about that?" She asked him after explaining, sounding distressed. Damon's eyes had been distractingly tracing her body as she spoke but now he looked into her eyes.

"Elena, I swear, there is no way that I didn't compel him properly. If you want to know why he wrote that report you'd be better off asking him," He finished. Elena sighed.

"I haven't even told him I'm adopted yet. I don't know how to talk to him anymore since I had to start hiding so much from him… am I even doing the right thing?" She thought about what Alaric had said earlier about lying and keeping secrets from people she loved. Elena had always thought she was doing the right thing by keeping them out of it but she was leaving nobody any explanation for herself or how strange her life had become recently.

"You need to find out what he knows and what he doesn't," Damon told her, "That's all I can advise."

"Yeah," Elena agreed. She reached up and traced the line of his jaw with the back of her hand. Damon's expression was soft as he leant in once more and kissed her. Elena relaxed into the kiss and Damon smiled against her mouth. They broke apart and, her hand still resting against his cheek, this time the palm, she looked at him meaningfully before turning her head. She could feel him staring at the spot that her pulse could be felt, and then seconds lately, he gently sank his fangs into her neck. This was something else they never spoke about that went on when they were alone.

* * *

 **A/N: So here is some more Delena stuff** **Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. As I have mentioned before, I am going away for 12 days starting Friday (the day after tomorrow) and I won't be able to update during that time, which sucks more than you would believe** **I am going to try to get another chapter tomorrow before I go and I'll try my damnedest but I have an essay to write and I also have to pack so… yeah, wish me luck! If I don't manage the next chapter, Merry Christmas in advance!**


	34. He Knows Too Much

**A/N: Okay so I have spent this whole day writing the world's most boring essay in order to have enough time to write this before I go away! So before I say anything else I want to thank Quindecim, stordec23, CandyMomo and Shhh-FanGirl in particular for reviewing all the time you guys are great! So is everybody else who has read and of course reviewed all the way to this point!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: He Knows Too Much**

The sun wasn't far from setting and the forest seemed shadowy as Elena and Jeremy walked through it. She had made her mind up after her conversation with Damon; she missed being as close to her brother as she used to be and if she wanted to know about his life, she had to ask him and nobody else. Alaric had also made his mark on her decision process, because Elena realised that of all the secrets she was keeping, the fact she was adopted was one she could, and should, actually tell her younger brother.

"So why did you drag me out of the house?" Jeremy asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Elena replied, "I just really needed to talk to you, and it isn't easy."

"What's up?"

"Well… I should have told you this before but I didn't really know how to, and I still don't, so here goes: I'm adopted." Jeremy stopped walking when she said that and Elena paused too, looking back at him, afraid of his reaction.

"What?" He said.

"I don't know. Mom and Dad never told me, but Ste- I found my medical records because of the accident," Elena covered her mistake hurriedly, "And there was no record of Mom giving birth to me. When I asked Jenna about it she admitted that I was adopted."

"Wow," Jeremy said, starting to walk again. Elena fell into step beside him, "I can't believe Mom and Dad didn't tell you." Elena nodded. They emerged then out beside the lake.

"I think they intended to tell me eventually but then they died."

"So why didn't you just tell me?" Jeremy asked gently.

"I don't know, Jer… I guess I was worried about what you thought," Elena admitted sheepishly, "It's just weird… going your life thinking you're related to someone."

"Does it bug you that we're not?" Now Jeremy sounded a little anxious, and Elena smiled at him, shaking her head.

"No, Jer… you're my brother, that's all that matters." Jeremy smiled back at her.

"You haven't even complained that Uncle John is around," He said, changing the subject. Elena sighed; she had never liked John Gilbert and she avoided his company whenever he was around. She was just glad to have had Damon as a distraction from his presence so far. He had mentioned John's presence at the Founders Council meeting, though, and she was glad that he was as unimpressed by him as everyone else in Mystic Falls.

"I guess I have bigger problems. Not like you, huh? Mr Saltzman says you're doing really well in History lately," She broached the subject as casually as possible, though she felt her segue might be a little awkward. Jeremy seemed unconcerned, though.

"Yeah, he's been helping me out a lot, giving me some extra credit and stuff," Jeremy admitted.

"He loved your vampire paper," Elena was glad Jeremy wasn't a vampire because then he might hear her heart rate pick up at the mention of vampires, "So, what drew you to that subject anyway?"

"I don't know… boredom? Or maybe I'm just as nuts as the long line of Gilbert's," He joked.

"Gilbert's aren't crazy," The contents of their journals had been construed as such by people who didn't believe, but Elena was all too aware of the truth about vampires and witches in Mystic Falls. Jeremy just shrugged.

"Easy for you to say, you're not one," He joked playfully, running off. Elena, laughing, ran after him. She felt as if a huge weight had come off her shoulders now that she had told Jeremy at least one of the many truths plaguing her. And he didn't seem at all fussed that she wasn't his biological sister. It made no difference to them, she supposed, especially after everything they had both gone through together when they lost their parents.

She arrived at the Founders Party that evening a little late and as she waited to be greeted by the Mayor, she tried to see in through the doors to find Damon. He wasn't in sight but she could see many other familiar faces from around the town, mainly other people from Founding families. When she finally got in, she searched around but still couldn't find Damon. She spotted Stefan at the bar though, and hesitated for a moment. She had tried to ask Damon how his brother was doing since she gave him human blood for the first time in who knew how long, but he had glossed over the subject which made her think that Stefan was not doing so well. However, she told herself she couldn't be scared of her friend and that, at any rate, there was no way he could be more dangerous than Damon himself, and so she approached.

"Hey!" She said breezily.

"Hey, how are you?" Stefan asked, kissing her on the cheek and taking her by surprise. She caught a strong whiff of alcohol on him.

"Are you drunk?" She asked, half-laughing.

"It's helping to take the edge off," Stefan replied.

"How worried should I be?" Elena watched his face for any sign of doubt.

"Oh no! You don't need to be worried. It's just until the cravings go away. I think we should enjoy it while it lasts. Would you like to dance?" Stefan hated dancing so it was rare that he'd offer. She supposed that Drunk Stefan was more open to fun than Sober Stefan. He announced that he was going to get the music changed and as he departed, Kelly Donovan approached. Elena knew that Matt had been unhappy with his mother's behaviour since her return but she also felt for her that she had lost her daughter.

"I already tried to bribe the DJ with twenty bucks and a date, but Carol Lockwood has complete control over the music apparently," Kelly snorted. Elena had to agree that Carol's music taste was not up to scratch, but looking over at Stefan she saw him compelling the DJ. She smiled.

"You'll be surprised at what Stefan can accomplish when he puts his mind to it." The music improved then and as Stefan returned, Kelly started dancing with him. Elena tried not to be disturbed that she was dancing with what she believed to be a seventeen year old boy and instead glanced around herself, thinking that maybe she would find Caroline. However, Damon sidled up beside her at the bar and picked up Stefan's abandoned drink.

"This is like some kind of alternate universe," Elena told him as they watched Stefan dance.

"Yeah, one where Stefan is _fun_ ," Damon jested, "It's amazing what a difference not being uptight and on edge from malnourishment can make to a person's attitude, isn't it?" His eyes glinted as he watched his brother and Elena got a funny feeling in her stomach. She wasn't sure how she felt about Stefan on human blood; on the one hand, he was more like the version of himself he was around Lexi, but on the other, he and Damon had both made it clear that Stefan was not stable when he drank human blood. Elena didn't quite know what happened when he was but Damon said that Stefan lacked control when he fed. She looked up at Damon and he was already watching her.

"So, in the spirit of fun, do you want to dance with me?"

* * *

Damon whirled Elena around a few times on the dancefloor in an effort to try and get her mind off of the Stefan situation, but she kept glancing over at him every so often, obviously worried that something was going to happen. Eventually, he gave her up to her Aunt Jenna and instead headed over to the Sheriff, who was almost unrecognisable out of uniform.  
"You know I love a woman in uniform, but I have to side with this one… you look smashing," He told her, not untruthfully. Liz smiled brightly and for a moment Damon could see how similar she was to Caroline.

"Thank you Damon!" They chinked glasses, "I needed that. You've won the whole council over, and you know we all had doubts about you at first." Damon smirked.

"I can be charming when I want to be," He said, "But thanks, Liz. I like my life in Mystic Falls now and the council has been very welcoming. This place is starting to feel like home again." He glanced in Elena's direction involuntarily when he said it, and Liz smiled a little; she was astute and she didn't miss much. Damon tried to pass it off as if nothing had happened but Liz was having none of it.

"She's a little young for you, Damon," Liz told him. Damon would have loved to have been at liberty to point out that at over one hundred and seventy years old, every woman alive was too young for him. Instead he just chuckled. "I did check out John Gilbert's info though, and it seems we might actually have a problem- the blood bank and the missing people are true." He could see what it cost her to admit John got anything right. They were interrupted by Jeremy just as Damon's super-sensitive hearing picked up something on the other side of the room. Elena had been dancing with Stefan, who now practically had another guy by the neck. Damon whizzed over there.

"What's going on?" He asked, "Stefan, let him go." The man was apologising repeatedly, having been compelled to do so. Elena looked frightened. Damon broke Stefan's grip on the man and looked him in the eye. "Walk away," He ordered. As the man left, he turned back to his brother, who was clearly fuming. Quite a few people were staring. "Stef, I think you've had a few too many, take a moment." Stefan grunted and barged Damon on his way off the dancefloor. Ass the party returned to normal, Damon turned to Elena.

"I leave you alone for five minutes and look what happens," He murmured to her.

"Elena, are you okay?" Matt Donovan asked, having been nearby. Elena nodded and forced a smile.

"I'm fine, Matt," She assured him. Damon took her by the hand and pulled her to the bar, "Damon, what's been going on with Stefan? Is this… normal?" Damon glanced around to check that nobody was listening and then turned back to her.

"For Stefan? Yeah, pretty much. This is why he does the whole martyr act and feeds off of vermin." Damon ordered himself a drink, thinking he'd earned one by averting a scene in front of the whole town. Elena was biting her lip and so Damon took her hand again, squeezing it, trying to take away some of the worry she was obviously feeling. She squeezed his hand back and they stayed holding hands as Damon sipped his bourbon.  
"Speaking of brothers, yours is asking questions about Vicki. He realises she was buried and he wants to know who would do that." He had kept one ear out for the conversation he had departed and he didn't like what he heard. "I could compel him but he's wearing vervain."

"No, don't. I don't want to do that to him again." Elena sounded like her mind was made up, but Damon definitely had misgivings. He knew that Jeremy Gilbert asking the wrong questions would eventually lead to the right answers- especially given that he had spent a lot of time in Anna's company before. But, seeing there was no arguing with her, Damon plucked one of the roses out of the flower arrangement on the bar and handed it to Elena.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Over her head, Damon clocked John Gilbert looking towards them. He had an intense dislike for this guy already and he hadn't even had a real conversation with him. There was just something very unlikeable about him and it didn't help that nobody else seemed to like him either- not even Elena, who just pulled faces when he was mentioned. Also, he seemed a little too clued in on what was going on around the town and he didn't like that one bit; he had joined the Council in order to try and keep an ear out whilst silencing suspicion surrounding himself and his brother, and admittedly that job was always going to become more difficult with all the tomb vampires around. But now, with the likes of John sniffing around, it was going to become even more dicey.

"I'm just going to get some air," Damon muttered to Elena, before he headed outside onto the balcony. His plan worked, as not more than minute later, John followed him out there. Damon pretended not to have known he was there before he turned around, giving a convincing start of surprise when John greeted him.

"Damon, right?" He asked.

"John," Damon responded politely. John came forward and they shook hands. He was giving Damon a look which he did not like one bit- one which seemed a little too knowing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, we didn't get a chance at the council meeting earlier," John added.

"Yeah. How are you enjoying the kick off?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot how fun these small town celebrations can be," He smiled in a sinister fashion which told Damon that the part John was enjoying wasn't necessarily the party itself.

"Yeah, when was the last time you were here?" Damon could feel himself getting more tense by the second, but it wasn't really himself he was worried for.

"My brother's funeral. It hasn't been that long." John replied, "How long have you been in town?" Damon heard the loaded meaning behind the question probably before John even did. His bad feeling confirmed, Damon replied:

"Not long at all." John's mouth twitched slightly, taking the bait. Damon began to steel himself.

"So what do you think Damon? You know this vampire problem is real, right?" He asked, eyes glinting, "It's a potential blood bath."

"I wouldn't overreact John," Damon said, as a substitute for 'don't be such a drama queen'. Of course, John wasn't overreacting at all; he was dangerously close to the reality of the situation and Damon needed to steer him off that if he could. He turned away to face outwards, appearing to be taking in the view of the Lockwood estate. He could still see John out of the corner of his eye. John was watching Damon closely.

"I think it's like 1864 all over again with these vampires running amok. I guess we're just gonna have to hunt them down, throw them in a church and burn them to ash," The threat was very implicit. Damon didn't look back at him or give any outward reaction.

"That's the story, huh?" Damon said emotionlessly.

"There's a lot more to it, actually. Seems like there was a tomb under the church where vampires were hidden, waiting for someone to come along and set them free," John told him, "But then you already knew that, didn't you?" And so John Gilbert stepped out of the shadows. Damon was no admirer of how little effort it took to get him to reveal his true purpose and wealth of knowledge. Generally, people that were quick to cave were easy to best in a fight. Damon gave no response however. "You're the one who did it." John said, when Damon didn't respond.

"And you're telling me this why?" He asked finally.

"I just thought we should get the introductions out of the way," John replied easily. Damon smirked.

"You know that I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?" He said this in a dangerously light voice. John wasn't the only one capable of implying threats. Damon didn't even turn his head when he said it. He didn't want to kill Elena's uncle but if push came to shove… it didn't seem like anybody would miss him much.

"I know that," John replied.

"But you probably ingest vervain," Damon thought aloud, "So…"

"Why don't you take a bite and find out?" At this point, Damon turned towards John, cocking his head to the side in amusement as he looked at him.

"It's not worth my time," He smiled. John smiled back and the two were marked as enemies. Damon strolled casually away, about to go inside and inform Stefan that they had a new amateur hunter in town and to watch out, but then a moment of blind rage filled him. Things were getting in order slowly and John Gilbert was the one about to throw a spanner in the works? No. Damon turned, rushed him in the blink of an eye and broke his neck, tossing John's body over the edge of the balcony. Damon turned back to go inside, not even bothering to look down at the useless body of the awful man. He never had spared much thought for his victims when he could help it.

On his way inside, Damon searched for Elena but she was dancing with Matt again and she actually looked like she was enjoying herself. Caroline hadn't made a show at the party. Still, both Elena and Matt deserved a break from grief for one night at least. So, Damon instead decided to head out. On his way, however, he was accosted by Kelly Donovan. As with every other time he'd seen her, she was clearly drunk.  
"Hey, it's you, Mr Mysterious," She said.

"That's me," Damon said, trying to excuse himself and continue on his way but she wasn't going to let him.

"Tyler has gone to get us more drinks. You know, I never realised what I was missing at these Founders parties. The Founding families are all so snooty… well, the Gilbert's were always okay, apart from John, I suppose." Kelly rambled. Damon looked down at her.

"I'm sorry for your loss," He said, sincerely. Despite the fact Stefan had actually killed Vicki, Damon would carry the guilt of having turned her into a monster and rendered her death necessary in the first place. His humanity had been off then and he hadn't cared.

"Thanks. I know it's bad, but I'd rather not think about it, you know…" Damon was glad at the return of Tyler Lockwood with drinks. He seemed just as drunk as Kelly and they'd be good company for each other. He gave the kid a pat on the shoulder as he passed but Kelly annoyingly seized his arm as he tried to leave. "Hey, Mr Mysterious… You can't leave without saying goodbye." She was trying to flirt but Damon honestly thought he'd never been less interested in a woman in his life. He had killed somebody minutes before and was not in the mood for this conversation.

"Yes," He told her firmly, removing her hand from his arm, "I can." He was halfway to leaving the building when of all people, John Gilbert, freshly alive, strolled in through the door. He spotted Damon and smirked at him. Frowning, Damon turned sharply around and headed over to Stefan, who was propped up by the bar.  
"We have another one who won't stay dead," He informed his brother.

"What?" Stefan asked, confused.

"I just killed Uncle John Gilbert." Stefan followed Damon's gaze to where the man himself was standing, preparing to give a speech. Stefan looked back at him, "Yeah. And the council is back in vampire mode, too. Just thought you might like to hear the news." Stefan nodded moodily and got up, leaving. Damon watched him go and as he did so, he caught sight of Alaric. He sidled up beside the History teacher, who was frowning as he listened to John's speech about family protecting each other.

"His ring," Alaric muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Damon. "Doesn't it look like mine?" Damon glanced down at the ring Alaric wore that brought him back to life and then up at John. The rings were almost identical.

"Well that explains why he's standing there after I just killed him," Damon said. Alaric looked around at him. "You got that ring from Isobel right? Who gave birth to Elena under the care of Dr. Grayson Gilbert, everybody's favourite person's brother," Damon said significantly, the pieces of the puzzle joining up into quite an ugly picture in his mind.

"You think he knows Isobel?" Alaric questioned.

"I think he knows a lot of things." Far too much, in Damon's opinion.

* * *

 **A/N: This will be my last chapter for the next week or so** **which sucks because I'm really enjoying myself writing this. Anyway, thank you so much once again for every review, every follow and every favourite, it means the world! Merry Christmas everybody!**


	35. The Wrong Salvatore

**Chapter Thirty-Five: The Wrong Salvatore**

"So run me up to date here," Stefan said as Damon paced the living room, "You and Alaric threatened John and he spilled his knowledge of the town."

"He knew who Alaric was." Damon's teeth were gritted and if he squeezed the glass in his hand any tighter it would shatter. Stefan didn't look so well himself, sat on the couch with his hands clutching his knees, his expression even more serious and brooding than usual.

"He has the same kind of ring as Alaric, who got it from Isobel, Elena's mother," Stefan summarised, "Which means…"

"John knows Isobel. John Gilbert is Elena's birth father. That was why the Gilbert's raised her." The two brothers looked at each other grimly. Isobel had gone to lengths to ensure Elena didn't track her down and had been more concerned with turning into a vampire than with her husband or anything else she once cared about. But if John was in contact with Isobel...

"Isobel is hiding something. Uncle John's knowledge of Mystic Falls' history doesn't come from nowhere, and neither does Isobel's obsession with all things vampire." Damon downed the rest of the blood in his glass in one go before slamming it down onto a table. "This _stinks_ of Katherine." He poured himself another glass of blood. He was furious with the world; angry that John Gilbert was a thorn in his side, fuming that he was somehow connected with Katherine- he was still hurt, even if he didn't want to admit it, after what she had done to him. And then there was the rage that filled him at the thought that Elena's uncle, whom she heartily disliked anyway, had not only lied about his identity for her entire life but was most likely also concealing the whereabouts of the mother she wanted to meet, even if doing so was a terrible idea. He even felt a little sorry for Alaric, who had never had any answers out of Isobel.

"So what are you gonna do? Use him to go after Isobel and Katherine?" Stefan asked. Damon shook his head, thinking hard.

"No." He answered, after several minutes of reflection, "I have no interest in seeing Katherine unless it's to kill her."

"So?"

"So, we find out what John Gilbert wants now he's suddenly back in Mystic Falls right after the tomb vampires got out. I know he thinks he's invincible with that damn ring, but you don't come back into the middle of that without a motive of some kind. And I'm going to find out what that is." Damon thought he saw a glimmer of pride in Stefan when he explained his plan. It was out of character, after all, for Damon to be measured and calculated as opposed to impulsive and reckless. But, his strength alone couldn't beat a man who wouldn't die if he was killed. Damon sat down before the fire with his blood. He was also watching Stefan closely, though he was trying not to give it away. His brother's struggle with bloodlust was written all over his face and body language- he could hardly think of anything else. Finally, he spoke again:

"If you even heard anything I just said to you… it's different this time, isn't it?" Damon asked, "The need is too strong. It would be after all these years." He heard Stefan's teeth grinding together, but the younger brother said nothing, "Alright, have it your way," Damon placed his glass down on the table again as he got to his feet. As he passed Stefan, he touched his shoulder, feeling slightly bad for him, "Have a good night, brother." Stefan was insisting that he had everything under control, but only morning would tell for sure whether he was drinking human blood again; if the glass was empty.

* * *

Elena had to wrestle herself awake the morning of the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. She would have pulled out of doing it if it hadn't been for the fact that it had been so important to her mother that Elena took part. Caroline was also competing for the title and Elena thought her friend could do with a win- she certainly wasn't going to exert herself in the competition. Stefan had returned to school the day before and he had seemed unusually upbeat. Elena hoped that meant he was taking a turn for the better as he was managing to keep his cravings under control. In spite of this, Elena still hardly slept at night for nightmares and no amount of news, good or bad, seemed to make a difference. She stumbled to the bathroom blindly to brush her teeth and found Jeremy in there. He barely responded to her greeting and exited quickly; he had been acting like that for a few days now, though Elena had no idea what she could have done to upset him. Perhaps he wasn't as fine with her being adopted as they'd thought.

When Elena returned to her bedroom she found Damon sitting on top of the bedcovers, arms crossed, waiting. His eyes raked the sight of her in short shorts and the cami which she had slept in and she felt the heat rising in her neck.  
"Good morning," He greeted her suggestively.

"If you say so," She groaned in response, face-planting the bed beside him. She heard him chuckle throatily and then his hand was grazing the back of her thigh.

"It's pretty late. Don't you have some sort of shindig to get ready for?" He teased her. Elena was hardly able to concentrate when his hand was on her like that but she managed to sigh out an answer.

"I was thinking of ditching it and just going back to sleep," Elena informed him, feeling sleep tugging at her again. Bonnie had returned to town but was barely speaking to her, something which had not helped her low mood at all. She had tried to call her several times the previous night but had gotten no answer, and the look Bonnie had given Stefan at school unsettled her too. She didn't want her best friend to hate her; it hadn't been Stefan's fault that Sheila had died. It hadn't even been Damon's fault- nobody had predicted that.

"I've been paired up with your uncle John to find out who is stealing blood from the hospital," Damon informed her lightly. Elena turned her head to the side so she could look at him. Damon had made it amply clear that he shared everyone else's dislike of John Gilbert, but there was something about his voice when he spoke John's name that made Elena question Damon's working with him.

"You know it's the tomb vampires. It's not you," Elena pointed out. Damon said nothing, "It… isn't right? I mean…"

"I haven't been on any crazy binges, no. Some of it was me but not the amount that has gone missing… but I'm not the only vampire other than the ones from the tomb in Mystic Falls." Elena sat bolt upright, heart pounding, and Damon saw what she was thinking, "Not anybody new, Elena. It could be Stefan." At this, Elena shook her head rapidly from side to side.

"He said he had it under control," She didn't want to believe that Stefan could be behind this. She _wanted_ to believe that he was pulling through his struggle with bloodlust and that he was back on his animal diet.

"Did he seem in control to you the other night?" Damon asked, shaking his head, "I'm not saying it's all him but I'm not going to rule it out. You don't know Stefan when he drinks human blood." A shadow crossed his face and Elena reached out to him.

"What happens?" She whispered. Damon met her gaze with his bright blue eyes and he hesitated, but didn't say anything more.

"I'll keep an eye on Stefan. I'm more interested in finding out what your uncle is really up to." Elena was going to ask what he meant, but Damon leant forward and placed his hands over hers. "Don't worry about it for now, okay? Just get this Founders thing out the way. I just wanted to keep you up to date." Elena didn't think it was reasonable to call herself up to date when she only understood half of what he had said, but Damon clearly wasn't going to elaborate. He got up from the bed and began heading over to the window.

"I'll see you later, Elena." Damon was supposed to be escorting her at the gala, which was the one perk in this as far as Elena was concerned. She had considered just asking Stefan, given that more people would be happy to see her with him, but after his strange behaviour at the Founders party she had decided to opt for Damon. It was tragic that he was currently the more stable, reliable brother given what was usually typical, but she had called him the day before in a panic after Caroline reminded her of the event and he had agreed- and assured her that he already knew all the steps to the dance.

When Elena arrived at the Founders Hall later that day she found quite a crowd already forming. She was clutching her dress in a dust bag in one hand and her cell phone in the other, and barely had time to gather herself before she was shoved towards Carol Lockwood, who was sat with two local journalists interviewing about the event. As she dully listed her reasons for being involved and talked about her mother's legacy, Caroline waved at her across the hall. Once she was free, Elena hurried towards the blonde.  
"Hey! You showed up after all," Caroline noted cheerfully, though there was an edge to her voice.

"I'm only here for my mom," Elena replied, "I don't care about winning." Caroline looked happier when she said this and the two of them began heading up the stairs to get ready.

"Bonnie filled in for Matt in the dance rehearsal because he was working so I hope he gets it right," Caroline told her. Elena bit her lip but said nothing. "So when is Stefan getting here?"

"What?" Elena said distractedly.

"For the dance." Caroline said slowly, as if she was dense.

"Stefan isn't my partner," Elena told her. Even after all this time, people made assumptions about her relationship with Stefan.

"Oh right. Wrong Salvatore." Caroline hadn't warmed to Damon, in spite of the success of their double date with him and Damon. Elena decided once again not to comment, "You didn't make the rehearsal either."

"Well it's not like Bonnie would have helped me too," Caroline had spoken to Bonnie everyday when she was out of town- Elena hadn't even heard from her once. She felt a small pang in her chest at that fact.

"Well to be honest you could have two left feet and you'd still win this." Caroline left her at the top of the stairs after this, leaving Elena with a frown on her face. She exhaled a breath and went into the room they'd been allocated in which to get ready. The room had a window which looked out over the grounds and then onto Mystic Falls beyond. As Caroline and the other contenders milled around, preparing to do their hair and make-up, Elena gazed out of it. Everything today was bothering her- Stefan's blood problem, her uncle John's vendetta, Damon's strange behaviour and Caroline's cattiness. That was without even getting into the problem of Bonnie's apparent resentment of her, though she hadn't managed to get it out of her what she had done. She knew she was having a hard time dealing with the death of her Grams but it still hurt to be pushed out by her best friend.

It was not long before Jenna arrived to help with her hair and makeup.  
"Ready?" She asked, wielding the curling tongs like a sword. Elena laughed in spite of herself and sat down in front of the mirror, ready to be preened, "I was never any good at this stuff. That was always your mom. I was a tomboy."

"You'll do a fine job," Elena answered mechanically as Jenna teased a section of hair around the curlers.

"Yeah you'll be saying that until your hair falls out," Jenna shook her head, "You never did tell me who's escorting you today," She said in a tone of voice which informed Elena that she already knew the answer. Elena just shrugged, "He's already down there, talking to that Anna girl- I didn't realise he knew her." Elena was surprised to hear that the small vampire had resurfaced after what had happened at the farmhouse. Anna and her mother Pearl had certainly kept a low profile in more recent days.

"It's a small town," Elena dismissed easily.

"You know you can talk to me about Damon, don't you?" Jenna asked gently, surprising Elena. "I get it, you know. He's hot, he's mysterious, he's older… just, understand why hanging around with him raises a few eyebrows."

"Look, Damon and I… we're not…" Elena stopped, not knowing how to explain their situation. They had never put a label on what they were doing and honestly, with everything else going on, Elena thought that perhaps labels was the last thing she needed right now. "There isn't much to say."

"Right," Jenna didn't sound as if she believed her at all, but she didn't pressure Elena anymore, obviously able to see that she was not going to speak freely about it and thinking she understood.

"I remember when mom and I first applied for this. She made it sound like so much fun," Elena told her aunt, to change the subject. It was hard not to think of her mother on events like this- the town's community had meant everything to her. Elena remembered a time when she thought she'd be just like her mother, but she didn't think that the girl she once had been would recognise herself very easily these days. The Miss Mystic Falls pageant didn't seem important at all now.

Jenna eventually announced that she was done with Elena's hair. She glanced up into the mirror before her and a strange thought crossed her mind; this was the same face Katherine saw when she looked into the mirror. Fighting the chill running down her spine, Elena dismissed herself to go and get into her dress. She entered a room to find Amber Bradley, one of the other contenders, already inn there. She was at school with Elena, though they didn't know each other very well, and she looked anxious.

"Are you okay, Amber?" Elena asked kindly. Amber gulped.

"I hate being the centre of attention," She explained shakily, "I get panic attacks."

"Do you need some privacy so you can change?" Amber shook her head from side to side.

"Actually, I'm just- I'm gonna go get some air." Amber hurried away, leaving Elena alone in the room, closing the door behind her. Elena shrugged to herself before unzipping her dress and pulling it out of the dust bag. It was long and blue, cut slim around the waist- the dress her mother had helped her pick out before she died, but which she would never see her wear. Elena stepped up to the full length mirror, holding the dress up to her body, only to meet a pair of icy blue eyes in the reflection. Damon was in the room.

"You're not supposed to be back here," She chastised him lightly. Damon smirked for a second but then his face set into more serious lines, and Elena readied herself for the almost certainly bad news that was bound to follow.

"A month ago I would have had a completely different outlook on this but given the horrible timing…" Damon sighed, "Stefan's definitely still drinking human blood. He's got a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband, just like I suspected." Elena swallowed, turning to face him directly instead of in the mirror. She thought if her nerves were strung any more tightly then they might just snap. She could say nothing, only look at Damon. He came over to her side and led her to a couch, where they sat down together.  
"Earlier," He started, "You asked me what happens when Stefan drinks human blood… well, Elena, he never learned to control it. He doesn't know what normal is because what is normal to a vampire is drinking human blood, but he's denied it for so long that he never learned to control it. So, the blood controls him."

"But he said he had it under control," Elena repeated what she had said earlier uselessly.

"Stefan on human blood will do and say anything to get you to leave him alone. He is not going to want to stop." Damon's hand covered hers as he watched her think it all over. It was several minutes before Elena found her voice again.

"Where is he?" She asked him.

"I don't know. But if he doesn't keep a low profile he's going to get himself- and probably me- killed. The Council is back on the vampire vendetta and he is drawing a lot of attention to the issue." Elena reached up with her free hand to place her palm against Damon's cheek. He blinked and looked at her steadily.

"Nobody is going to get to you. Either of you." Damon smiled and removed her hand from his cheek, taking it in his own.

"You need to get ready to blow this town away, Elena. Don't let me keep you." He stood up and went to make his departure again. Elena watched him go, wishing she could run after him in that moment and hold onto him, but she didn't follow him. He turned back to her when he reached the door, "I'll see you at the bottom of the stairs."

* * *

Damon opened the door and found himself face to face with Stefan, who had clearly heard every word of their conversation. He looked livid.  
"So you two have it all figured out, huh?" He spat, barging Damon out of the way as he stormed into the room. "I've told you both, I'm fine!"

"You're not fine, Stefan," Elena argued, her voice sounding impressively steady. She got to her feet. "You've been lying to us about the blood. Why wouldn't you just tell me?"

"Maybe because I knew you'd react like _this_?" He gestured angrily towards her.

"Like what? Stefan, you are not acting like yourself and now it's obvious why!"

"Why, because _Damon_ told you so?" Damon approached his brother, who had his back to him as he yelled at Elena. "He doesn't exactly have the cleanest record, you know?"

"Stefan, this isn't about him!" Elena insisted, and Damon could see the tears welling up in her big brown eyes, but Stefan was clearly not going to let up on her.

"Of course it is, Elena, it's always been about him! I'm just a convenient shoulder to cry on when things go on right? So don't pretend you feel bad for any other reason than the fact that this is all your fault for giving me your blood!" The final words ripped through the room like an explosion. A harsh, deathly silence settled. Stefan was glaring at Elena, who was staring back, though she looked like she'd just been slapped in the face. Her lip was trembling. Damon, unable to believe even Stefan would go so far to get out of admitting he had a problem, stepped around his brother and in front of Elena, meeting his eyes.

"You need to leave. Now." It was not a request. Stefan complied, storming out. Neither Damon nor Elena said anything as he turned back to her. He had no idea what he could say- reassure her that it wasn't her fault? Damon knew that Elena was going to think she was to blame now no matter what. He opened his mouth to speak but they were interrupted then by Carol Lockwood stepping through the open door.

"Elena, let's go. The line-up's starting," She told her, then really looked at her.

"I just need a minute," Elena said weakly, looking at Damon helplessly.

"You're not even dressed yet. Escorts wait downstairs, Damon." Damon heard the spite in Carol's voice and he huffed out an inaudible breath as he turned to depart the scene. Downstairs, a crowd were waiting for the girls. The Mayor was calling out the names, but Damon's eyes scanned the scene. He spotted John Gilbert there, standing apart from Jenna and Alaric. He hardly had a glance to spare for the other competitors, but he did hear when Caroline's name was called out. She made her way down the stairs looking, admittedly, resplendent in green as she joined her stand-in escort, a Lockwood relative. This meant that Elena was next to be introduced, so he straightened out his tux.

"Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Mister Damon Salvatore," Mayor Lockwood called out, and for a moment Damon forgot about everything else. Elena was making her way down the stairs towards him in a long, sea blue dress. She looked beautiful and Damon felt for a moment like all the air had been knocked out of him. He took a step forward to meet her at the bottom of the steps, offering her his arm. She accepted it with a small smile, glancing around as people applauded.

"Where's Stefan?" She whispered, at a volume only Damon could possibly here. He leant a little closer to whisper his reply in her ear:

"I don't know," He shifted his grip to her hand, leading her outside to where the other girls were. He heard Elena swallow as they turned to face each other. Elena curtseyed as was traditional, a strange echo of the original pageant back in 1864, and Damon bowed. As they neared each other, Elena asked:

"What are we gonna do?"

"Right now we just have to get through this." It had escaped neither of their notice that one of the Miss Mystic Falls contenders, Amber, had not made an appearance after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas guys! I'm back! So, this chapter might feel a little bit odd at first because I started writing it in the throes of jetlag but I think by maybe a third of the way through I'd settled back into writing this story. I have missed it while I was away! Please leave me a review letting me know what you think, it would mean the world to me!**


	36. Stefan's Ugly Side

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Stefan's Ugly Side**

The music started and Elena focused on Damon's face. He gave a barely perceptible nod of the head before raising his hand. She raised the opposite, following his lead, and they turned, not touching. Elena could not have taken her eyes off of his face even if she wanted to. Half the town was watching and three other couples were dancing but they may as well have been alone. They made their second revolution and came to a stop, and Elena could feel her heart pounding. She felt giddy. Damon stepped smoothly to her in perfect timing and took her into his arms, steering her through the steps of the dance perfectly, remembering it as clearly as if he'd danced it just yesterday. Elena had missed the rehearsal but she was not suffering for it as Damon led her through the dance; though the posture required for it was to keep the bodies apart, it felt as if Elena was crushed against him, beautifully claustrophobic, but all too soon it was over. They let go of one another and Elena's eyes went over his face again, drinking in every detail of the strong jawline and crystal blue eyes, the way his dark hair contrasted against his pale skin. She wanted him, and she wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her whole life.

The moment shattered as everybody applauded. Damon opened his mouth as if to speak but then Caroline appeared between them, her arm going around Elena's waist as she steered her towards the stage.  
"I was watching you!" The blonde told her quietly, "Damon can dance, can't he?"

"Yeah," Elena agreed, glancing over her shoulder back to where he was standing, watching her go. She and Caroline gathered on the stage that had been set up to wait for the winner of the title to be announced. As the mayor approached to do the honours, Caroline turned to her.

"Where is Amber?" The matter of Amber Bradley's absence and Stefan's previous outburst had left her mind during the dance but Elena came back to reality with a thump and she could feel her unease resettling.

"I don't know," She replied to Caroline's question, glancing around the crowd as if to look for clues. Amber's parents were there, looking bewildered and worried.

"Before I crown the winner, I'd like to offer a personal thank you to all of these young ladies for the efforts to better our community," Mayor Lockwood announced to the crowd, who applauded again. "So, without further ado, it is my honour to announce our very own Miss Mystic Falls…" He paused for dramatic effect, "Miss Caroline Forbes!" Elena heard her friend's surprise cry and laughed, turning to the blonde, glad she had gotten the victory she had really wanted.

"Congratulations!" Elena told her, grinning.

"I actually won!" Caroline responded, still looking stunned. Elena hugged her, though they had to break up when the Mayor placed the Miss Mystic Falls sash across Caroline's shoulders. Elena glanced back to find Damon in the cheering crowd, but he was gone, and she knew that he had most likely gone to look for Stefan. She milled about in the crowd for a while, having half-hearted conversations as she waited for Damon to return. She glimpsed Bonnie looking at her, but Bonnie turned away when she noticed Elena gazing back and Elena soon lost sight of her. Hurt, she wandered aimlessly until she found Damon again. He looked disturbed.

"What is it?" Elena asked him immediately, "Did you find him?"

"There were signs of a struggle in an upstairs bathroom," He replied in a low voice, "There was blood, and that Amber girl is missing." Having seen the way Stefan had acted towards her, Elena didn't feel all that surprised that Damon had arrived at the same conclusion she had. It wasn't like Stefan to hurt anybody, but it seemed that he was very different with human blood in his system; he hadn't cared about hurting her, had even blamed her for the way he was behaving…

"We have to find him," She said decisively, even though a large part of her really didn't want to see Stefan after what he had said. Elena felt guilty enough already, but she also knew deep down that she had done the right thing that night. If he hadn't drunk her blood that night they would both be dead.

"Get your coat," Damon told her, and Elena complied immediately, not pausing to think about anything else. She and Damon headed outside together. Elena kept glancing around, frightened, but Damon led the way and they didn't get very far before they found him.

Amber was screaming as Stefan sank his fangs into her neck. She was already smothered in her own blood and she looked terrified, but she was powerless against his strength.  
"Stefan!" Elena called out his name, horrified. Stefan let go of Amber and his expression was murderous. He was breathing hard.

"Stefan, come on," Damon said, stepping towards his brother, "Get control. It's okay, come on. Breathe through it, man." He extended a hand out towards him but Stefan caught him by the arm and hurled him bodily at a tree nearby. Damon grunted as he hit the trunk but he got up immediately, evidently not fazed.

"Stefan, stop it!" Elena begged, upset. She couldn't stand to see him like this. Now she understood what Damon had meant by Stefan being out of control; she had seen Damon attack before and even he wasn't like this. Damon attacked in short bursts and it didn't go on like this. He could stop feeding when he wanted to- Stefan, obviously, couldn't. But suddenly, he was clutching his head and howling in pain. Elena glanced around and saw Bonnie walking towards them, her eyes on Stefan, her nostrils flared with concentration. It was obviously her that was hurting him. Elena opened her mouth, not sure whether she wanted to stop Bonnie from hurting him or not, but then Bonnie relented anyway as she neared them. Stefan gasped as the pain vanished and looked around almost fearfully.

"It's okay, Stefan," Damon began, but Stefan turned and fled. The three of them looked at each other as Elena became aware of the sound of sirens nearing them. Amber was pale and drenched in blood. Damon sped to her and, in a gentle tone of voice, compelled her to forget what had happened. Soon after, Sheriff Forbes helped lead Amber to a waiting ambulance. Bonnie had obviously notified the authorities, but Caroline's mother returned a few moments later looking grave

"She doesn't remember what happened," She told them seriously.

"It's a good thing the girls got here when they did, she lost a lot of blood," Damon added, slipping into his role as a Founder's Council member and citizen of the world and altering the story to a version which was more towns-folk friendly all in one go.

"You didn't see anything?" Sheriff Forbes asked Elena and Bonnie. Elena tensed, wondering what Bonnie would say, but she just shook her head. Relieved, Elena turned back to the Sheriff:

"No, we just found her and then called Damon."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Bonnie asked. The Sheriff smiled grimly.

"It looks like it, yeah," She replied, "Why don't you girls get back to the party? Damon and I will take it from here." Elena agreed, but shared one last long look with Damon before she turned away. Bonnie was already heading over to her car and Elena toyed with the idea of just letting her walk away but she couldn't do it; they _needed_ to talk about everything that had happened, whether Bonnie liked it or not.

"Bonnie, can we talk about this?" Elena asked, catching up with Bonnie as she reached her car.

"There's nothing to talk about," Bonnie snapped. Elena grabbed her friend's wrist, begging to be listened to, begging to understand.

"Bonnie, what is going on? What did I _do_?" She had asked the same question at school the previous day and received no answer, just a dismissal, but this time she was determined to get some kind of response out of her. Bonnie folded her arms.

"Elena, can you not understand that my Grams _died_ because of them? That everything that has been wrong in my life lately is because of Stefan and Damon? I'm sorry, but I can't help but blame them for all of that. Look, you're my best friend and I am not going to make you choose a side, but I just don't understand how you can hang around with vampires and not be bothered by the things they've done!" Bonnie's words cut deeper than any knife. Elena swallowed a lump in her throat as she met her best friend's bright green eyes. She could feel tears welling up in her own; this terrible day was just going from bad to worse. The dance with Damon had been a brief vacation from reality.

"So… if I hang around Damon and Stefan, you won't be around me?" Elena choked out.

"I don't know," Bonnie answered finally, after a moment, "I need time to think and while I decide, I think it's best if you leave me alone." Elena toyed with the idea of returning to the party, pulling herself together and acting normal until she could find out what was going on with Damon and Stefan, but she couldn't face it. So, she got into her own car and drove home, looking forward to a little time alone to be able to think while everybody else was still at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Her mind was a blur as she shrugged out of the dress, washed the curls and product out of her hair, and pulled on some comfortable clothes instead. This whole day was adding up to be one of the worst she'd ever had and, given how many terrible things had been going on lately, she was surprised to be able to narrow down the list. Maybe Bonnie was right- her life wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for the fact she was so tangled up with vampires now. But her life before vampires… before Damon… it would have been empty. She would be an orphan putting on a brave face whilst inside she had been dead and numb. Was that better than this? Was that better than feeling how she felt around Damon- alive? Perhaps it was selfish, but she needed to feel alive, more than she needed to not have any problems.

She was startled by the doorbell ringing as she sat writing in her journal a little while later. Jenna and Jeremy both had keys and Damon would enter through her window most of the time. She doubted it would be Stefan. Frowning, she made her way downstairs and opened the door to find herself face-to-face with Anna and an older woman who had to be her mother, Pearl.

"What are you doing here?" She blurted out, scared.

"Relax, we're just here to talk," Anna told her, but Elena found it very hard to relax around somebody who had once kidnapped her.

"Elena, we haven't been properly introduced before. I am Pearl. You really do resemble Katherine." Pearl and Katherine had been best friends, she recalled Stefan telling her that.

"Look, today has been terrible and I don't think I can…" Elena sighed, making to close the door, but Anna stopped her.

"I've been invited in before, Elena. We are not here to hurt you- if we were, I would have forced my way in, not knocked the door." Elena paused, looking at the smaller girl uncertainly.

"Your uncle has been asking about something which I took from Johnathon Gilbert. Damon does not want him to have it. But as he is currently disinclined to talk to us after what happened with his brother… well, Elena, I wanted to offer this as an apology. Please pass it on to Damon." Pearl held out a small, round device. It looked a lot like the pocket watch that Damon had taken from Logan Fell which tracked down vampires, but looking closer, it was not the same item. It came accompanied by a strange, very old music box.

"What is it?" Elena asked blankly, taking the device.

"I have no idea," Pearl admitted, "I stole this believing it was the pocket watch, but the night that we were captured I saw Johnathon holding it and realised this was something else. He was very passionate about his inventions and he often talked about them with me, though he never told me what this one was. It was obviously something else, or perhaps he suspected… but, it is yours now. Or rather, Damon's. My daughter and I would like to stay here and live a peaceful life. None of you have any reason to trust us now, but I hope that this will convince you all that we truly had no part in the treachery." Elena closed her hand upon the device and nodded, looking up at Pearl and Anna.

"Thank you," She said quietly.

* * *

"Elena, what are you doing here?" It was the dead of night when Damon stirred in his bed to find her gazing down at him. Usually this situation was reversed. Elena pressed her finger to her lips to hush him and then held something up. With his night vision, Damon understood what it was immediately despite the darkness of his bedroom. It was a vervain dart.  
"He's sleeping now," Damon murmured to her, "Are you sure?"

"We have to do something. This isn't him," She said. Nodding, Damon sat up and pulled her towards him easily, so that her body passed over his. He placed her on the bed beside him and leaned down to kiss her. Elena yielded to him and he heard her sigh once he moved from her lips to her neck. Her legs curled around his hips and pulled his body against hers. He felt the usual rush of hunger, both for her and for her blood, but he resisted the second and instead launched into a lustful assault on her body, kissing and touching every part of her olive skin that he could reach. This had been all he thought about earlier on when they danced and he thought that if he didn't have her, then, that he might explode. But, as with every time they had come close, Elena stopped him as his hand wandered between her legs under the waistband of her jeans. He could hear her heart pounding furiously, knew from her moans that she wanted this as much as he did, but as ever she refused, wrapping her hand around his and stilling it.

"One day I will have you," He told her intensely. He both saw and felt her blush. Damon, of course, knew really what held her back, and it was the fact they had never talked about any of this. They behaved like a couple at times, and the sexual chemistry between them was obvious from a thousand miles away. But, given that his brother was in love with her too, the fact he was a vampire and all that had passed concerning Katherine, he could understand her reluctance to take that step yet. This wasn't something he intended to push her on though- he wasn't even sure it would be wise on his part, given that he had not quite managed to put a name to what he felt for Elena Gilbert just yet.

Elena pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before moving the hand she was holding to her pocket. He could feel a lump there and frowned. She nodded and he removed the object.  
"Pearl told me to give this to you as an apology. It's what John has been looking for." Damon examined the object with a frown before lifting himself off of her and lying back in bed beside her once more, allowing the small round device to catch the small strip of moonlight streaming in through the blinds.

"What does it do?" He asked her.

"I have no idea," Elena replied, "Neither did Pearl." Damon set the device and music box down on his bedside table and turned his head to look at her closely.

"You didn't hand it over to John," He noted.

"Why would I do that?" Elena questioned, surprised that he would suggest something like that.

"He's your family," Damon shrugged. Elena bit her lip and then shrugged.

"He's just my uncle- and not even a blood related one. I've never liked him and I'm not going to do him any favours." Damon smiled sadly, wondering whether she would think differently if she knew the truth which he suspected- that John Gilbert was really her father. Would she want to do him favours then? He would like to think not but he also knew that blood was thicker than water- he and Stefan had often hated each other but that didn't mean that in the end they didn't always come through for one another. Which brought him back to the matter at hand. He picked up the syringe of vervain which Elena had dropped on the bed between them.

"Rick gave it to me. I spoke to him when he came back from the house and he said this might be the only way," Elena explained, "And honestly I don't see anything else we can do, either."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Damon asked her seriously. She met his eyes and nodded.

"I'm sure," She replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reviewing if you did! I hope to hear more feedback again and I hope you guys are enjoying it :)**


	37. Lost Cause Women

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Lost Cause Women**

Elena hadn't budged from outside the cell door since they had locked Stefan inside. Several times during the night Damon had tried to convince her to leave, but Elena had refused. At one point, she had cried. Damon hated his brother in that moment, for making her believe that all of this was her fault- that she was the reason that he was like this.  
"Won't Jenna be worrying about you when she realises you've been gone all night?" Damon asked Elena as she once again stood up to peer through the bars. Stefan had stirred but he still had too much vervain in his system to really be aware of his surroundings. The sun would be up outside by now, but Damon and Elena had stayed outside the cell all night, since she had crept into Stefan's room, stabbed him with the vervain dart and had Damon carry his body down here.

"What teenager hasn't snuck out at some point?" Elena dismissed.

"I wonder how many have snuck out to imprison their friends to stop them from eating the town," Damon mused. Elena looked at him with annoyance. "You should go and get some sleep at least."

"I just feel kind of bad for locking him up in there," She admitted, "Don't you?"

"Did he feel bad when he did the same to me?" Damon recalled the time, which felt like a lifetime ago now, that he had had to call out to Elena to come and rescue him. She shivered at the memory, "If this works he will thank you for this, Elena, so don't worry about it." She nodded, but she still didn't budge.

The sight became familiar over the following week. Stefan soon entered into a state of hallucination from lack of blood and he often cried out half-uttered sentences, things from their past which brought back mostly unpleasant memories for Damon. He took a visit into Stefan's head one day while Elena was at school to see what exactly Stefan was dreaming about, only to find himself reliving firstly Katherine's apparent death and then his own transition into being a vampire. Without Katherine he hadn't wanted to be a vampire; he had wanted to die. But Stefan had saved him. Saved him, and cursed him. Damon had hated him for that and yet… being a vampire suited him. It had never suited Stefan; he had never learned how to really be one without going off over the edge. He didn't venture into his brother's head anymore after that, but he did speak to Stefan when he was finally lucid.

"The human blood is gone from your system now, brother. You can come out." He waved a bottle of animal blood in his direction, but Stefan shook his head stubbornly, "You can't starve yourself."

"I'm not hungry," Stefan lied.

"We're always hungry, it's what defines us. You don't want to desiccate."

"Elena was here," Stefan recalled deftly.

"She's been here nearly all the time, driving me crazy." Stefan gulped and met Damon's eyes. He looked distraught.

"What I said to her that day was… it was unforgiveable," Stefan said, sounding almost fearful, "I don't deserve to come out." Damon rolled his eyes; he had always hated his brother's self-loathing tendencies.

"Don't be an idiot," Damon tossed the bottle of blood through the bars on his cell. It fell to the floor but Stefan made no move towards it. Damon sighed tiredly, "Fine, have it your way, brother. Rot. I don't care." Of course, he did care. He had always cared about his younger brother, even when he had hated him the most, even when they had been each other's worst enemies. But Stefan didn't like people to care about him- it reminded him that he was a good person and he wanted to paint himself as the bad guy. Damon had always been better at that than his brother, too.

He made his way upstairs to the living room, where he choked back a healthy measure of bourbon. Damon Salvatore was definitely not cut out for babysitting duty. As he was pouring his second helping, however, his phone rang.  
"Hello?"

"It's Alaric Saltzman," The mystery caller told him, and Damon frowned.

"How did you get this number?" Damon demanded. Alaric chuckled throatily down the phone.

"It's a mystery. Listen, I've got a friend who has done some digging…" Damon listened as Alaric explained how he had come to find out that Isobel appeared to be in Grove Hill, just a few miles away from Mystic Falls.

"Give me the address," Damon ordered. Alaric laughed at him again.

"What, so you can go without me? I don't think so," He told him. Damon cursed.

"Let me guess, if I try to go without you you'll kill me."

"Something like that," Alaric agreed mildly.

"Hold on, I have another call," Damon put Alaric on hold and switched over to an incoming call from Elena. He glanced at the time as he did so and realised that she must have just arrived home from school. She had stated with absolute conviction that morning that she was intending to stay for the whole weekend. Damon didn't mind- especially not as when rested, she crawled into bed beside him- except for the fact that she didn't actually sleep and just tossed and turned, wide awake, all night. It was even worse than her nightmares because he couldn't fix the insomnia.

"I'm just collecting some clothes and then I'll be right over," Elena told him, "How is he?"

"Brilliant. He won't eat and he's sulking worse than ever," He answered, "Hold on, I was on the line to someone else." He switched back to his call with Alaric, suddenly feeling extremely tired of everything, "You drive. Pick me up in an hour," He told the teacher, who agreed. He then switched back to give Elena his full attention.

"Maybe I'll be able to talk some sense into him when you're out," Elena said, when he told her had plans that night and she'd be alone. Damon rubbed his eyes.

"Elena, you need to give yourself a break. Stay home or better- to go the Grill, hang out with Caroline or Matt or someone normal." He could practically feel Elena rolling her eyes, and he knew that she wouldn't listen to what he said.

"I'll be there in a little while, Damon."

* * *

Elena hung up the phone before Damon could protest anymore. She was, strangely, feeling better than she had been on the day of the pageant, though she still felt a horrible sense of responsibility for the state Stefan had gotten into. She felt even worse knowing that he wasn't feeding because of what he had done to Amber. Still, she was determined to help him through it, admittedly for selfish reasons- she didn't want to feel bad anymore. Usually it would have all been for Stefan, except that what he had said had really hurt her- even if it was, essentially, true. She went over to close her closet door and jumped when John stepped out from behind it.

"Sorry," He apologised for making her jump, though the apology sounded insincere. Elena had done a good job of avoiding John since he had come back to town, though she knew Jeremy had spent some time with him. This worried her, on top of Jeremy's distancing himself from her lately.

"I didn't see you there," Elena said, trying to sound light and breezy.

"I thought we could catch up. We haven't really had a chance to talk since I've been back," John told her, and her stomach turned over. She already knew what he was going to say, but she decided to act dumb until he came out with it- always the safer option,

"I'm actually just heading out, so…"

"It won't take long," John told her, and she paused in her packing up of clothes to take to the Salvatore Boarding House. She looked at him expectantly.

"What did you want to talk about?" Elena asked him when he didn't say anything immediately.

"I know you know," He replied, somewhat cryptically. Elena kept her face carefully blank.

"It's really silly to keep pretending," John told her, "What do you think your mother would say if she knew you were dating a vampire?" She had known this was what the conversation was going to be about- but she hadn't expected him to frame it the way he had, guilt tripping her about her parents who had hated vampires. However, she had an ace up her sleeve:

"Which mother?" She picked up her bag and went to head out the door, but John grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from leaving. Elena turned angrily towards him. "What is your problem?"

"Damon Salvatore is dangerous, Elena, and as your- your uncle," He faltered, "I think you should stay away from him!" Elena laughed in his face, taking him by surprise. He let go of her, staring.

"He's dangerous to _you_ , maybe- I mean, he _did_ kill you, didn't he?" John looked shocked, "Yeah, he told me about that. I know all about your ring." She also had an idea of where he'd gotten it from, though she wasn't sure she was ready for _that_ conversation yet. She was more angry than anything else at the fact that he was trying to tell her what to do.

"Elena, he's a vampire. Vampires are monsters and you certainly shouldn't be dating one. He'll only end up killing you. That's all they're about." Elena looked at him coldly and was surprised to see him recoil as if he was afraid of her, which was strange.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Damon and I aren't dating. But let me make one thing clear _, Uncle John_ ," Elena told him, "You try to interfere in my life ever again…" She made sure she left the threat implicit before departing without looking back. She didn't have a thought to spare for John Gilbert at that moment with everything else that was going on.

* * *

"This place?" Damon indicated the door leading to the apartment that apparently belonged to or was occupied by Isobel. Alaric nodded.

"The records show it was paid three months in advance," Rick added.

"So now we just have to find out whether or not I can actually get in," Damon said, wondering.

"Yeah, how does that work? You always have to be invited in?" Damon was quite surprised that Alaric didn't know the answer to that question already, but then Damon supposed that his expertise lay in killing vampires, not the study of their habits and abilities.

"By the owner or person of entitlement. Short term rentals and hotels are a bit of a grey area- you kind of gotta play it by ear," Damon explained, "Can be a pain in the ass." Alaric chuckled at this.

"Can we not kill anyone tonight, please?" He asked, harkening back to their last venture together to the farmhouse full of tomb vampires. Damon wasn't in a murderous mood though, unless he happened to encounter Katherine. For everything she had done to him, she deserved death. The only reason he remained interested in Isobel was because she may be connected to Katherine; he knew Elena was better off keeping away from her birth mother, judging by the evidence. He addressed Alaric with a smirk:

"You mean you just brought me along for my company?" He asked, before opening the door. He pushed it open expectantly, peering through the door, but nothing happened. Damon reached across the threshold with his hand, waiting for the uncomfortable invisible barrier that would prevent him from entering the premises if it had a human occupant, but he didn't meet one.

"It doesn't look like anyone's home," Alaric noted.

"Yeah, I'm good. No permanent resident, apparently," Damon added, and they stepped inside. Damon and Alaric glanced around themselves, both looking out for any clues that would confirm Isobel was occupying the place. It was as he was opening the fridge that Damon heard it- the sound of a movement so swift and quiet that no human could detect it, at the same moment that his eyes fell on the blood bags inside the fridge. "Um, Rick, we have company." A man had come flying out of apparently nowhere and had jumped on Alaric. The teacher was ready for this and punched him hard with a set of wooden knuckles that caused the vampire to howl in pain, though he was soon ready to attack again. Damon was faster, however, and threw him off of Alaric, who got to his feet, breathing heavily. The pair of them stood looking down at the vampire and recognition, a memory from a long time ago, stirred.

"I know you," Damon said to the vampire, who had brown eyes and sandy brown hair to match.

"Damon?" He looked just as surprised to see him as Damon was to see him.

"Your name is Henry," He recalled, "You were in the tomb."

"Yes, sir," Henry admitted, "What are you doing here?"

* * *

"Stefan," Elena called through the bars. Stefan turned his head to look at her for a second before he turned away.

"Leave me, Elena," He told her.

"No," She refused firmly, planting her feet and placing her hands on the bars of the cell. She remembered sticking her hand through these same bars to test Damon's self-control. He hadn't attacked her that day and he had been in a much worse, more emaciated state than Stefan was. She took a deep breath and told herself that she could do this, that Stefan could do this.

"Damon hasn't fed me any vervain in a while. I could be at those bars in a flash, and you'd be dead," Stefan threatened, though his voice lacked much conviction. Elena reached down and produced the bottle of animal blood that Damon had prepared. She tried to imagine enjoying drinking any kind of blood, but the thought made her feel ill.

"You could kill me," She agreed bravely, "But you won't."

"I don't want you here, Elena," Stefan told her through gritted teeth, "Leave me alone." Elena instead unbolted the door and stepped inside the cell. His forest green eyes widened a little bit, almost in panic, and Elena felt a little more confidence blossoming at this- he wasn't completely lost, because he didn't _want_ to hurt her- he just didn't trust himself to be able to resist attacking her. "You're being an idiot, Elena," He warned, "You're taking a stupid risk. I could hurt you."

"Then I'm stupid," She shrugged, taking a few steps closer to him. "You need to drink this." She held out the bottle of blood and his eyes went to it for a second before flickering back to her. Elena stood still, watching as he stood up to face her. His body was almost trembling visibly. Elena stood her ground.

"Elena, get out of here or you'll regret it," Stefan promised angrily.

"No," She argued again, "Drink!"

"I said get out!" Stefan bellowed the last part, obviously trying to scare her into running away, but Elena had been ready for that tactic. She merely continued to gaze at him, not moving a muscle.

"Stefan, you need to drink this," She repeated once more, waving the bottle of blood at him. Stefan let out a strangled kind of growl and lunged for her, knocking the bottle out of her hand and coming right up into her face, breathing hard. The veins were showing around his eyes. Elena still didn't back away. She had made too many mistakes already, especially where Stefan was concerned- she wasn't going to let him desiccate on her watch.

"Get out," He commanded once more.

"No," She responded coolly, reaching up to touch his face with her fingers. His skin felt cold, and Elena remembered him explaining that coffee and other hot drinks helped keep their body temperatures at a normal level- it seemed like such a strange thought to cross her mind. Stefan closed his eyes at the contact and slowly she watched his face transform back to his human one. Eventually he opened his eyes again. Elena let her hand fall to her side and Stefan lurched away from her, throwing himself back down so that he was leaning against the wall. Elena sighed and slid down to sit beside him, waiting for him to speak. It was a long while before he did, and it was not what she expected.

"I really loved my brother when we were human," Stefan said softly, "I looked up to him. He was my best friend… and what I did to him was awful. Every time he does something terrible, I know it's really my fault."

"What?" Elena frowned.

"Damon does the vampire thing better than me, but he didn't want to be one. After Katherine was gone, he didn't want to complete the transition. He wanted to die and I wouldn't let him. I forced him to feed." Stefan laughed humourlessly, "That's the real reason he hates me. It wasn't because Katherine chose me, it was because I didn't let him make any choice at all." Elena thought about this. She had never heard the full story of the Salvatore brothers' transition. Damon had told her about being shot by their father and having had Katherine's blood in their systems- but he hadn't gone into any more detail about it than that.

"He doesn't hate you, Stefan. If he did, he wouldn't be trying to get you to feed." Stefan didn't say anything to that, "Stefan, I get why you're trying to do this. You're thinking that… because you chose to complete the transition, that you made a mistake because this is what being a vampire did to you and your brother. But Stefan, neither of you are bad."

"I wonder what the body count would be between my brother and I."

"Stop it!" Elena ordered, "Both of you are fighting your basic nature to kill every single day and both of you handle it in different ways. But you've both been doing well, haven't you?"

"Give up, Elena, it's no good," Stefan told her flatly, "This happens every time I feed on human blood and it will happen every single time until I stop feeding- so there's no time like the present." Elena looked at him for a minute and then shook her head, before reaching into her pocket and producing his daylight ring, which she had taken the night they vervained him.

"I'm going to leave the cell door unlocked. When you feel like talking, I'll be upstairs." She made sure to kick the bottle of blood towards him on her way out, though she wasn't sure what good it would do.

"Well that was a bust," Damon and Alaric were driving away from Isobel's empty apartment. All they had gotten out of Henry was that he didn't know anything about her, only John Gilbert. Alaric had staked him in the end and even once they turned the place upside down they didn't find any clues. All they had come away with was the knowledge that the tomb vampires were still out for revenge on Mystic Falls- another worry to add to his list, Damon thought grimly.

"I don't know what I thought I'd find," Alaric sighed as he turned the car onto the highway, "I keep looking for answers, you know… wanting to know why she did it, when exactly she decided that I wasn't enough… but answers only make things worse, don't they?"

"I'm sorry about what happened with her, man," Damon told him, "She came to me with this… excitement in her, begging to be turned. I had no idea who she was, or about her connection to Katherine. I didn't care."

"You apologised before," Alaric recalled. Damon frowned.

"I did? Must've been drunk," Alaric chuckled at this response, "Speaking of which…"

"I could do with a stiff one," Damon laughed as the teacher finished the sentence.

"I have to make sure my brother hasn't killed Elena in my absence… but I'll drink a toast to giving up on lost cause women when I'm back at the house."


	38. Damon's Decision

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Damon's Decision**

It had been a very, very long night. Stefan had made a run for it without his daylight ring, but Elena had found him at the quarry where he had made Damon turned just before sunrise. He had been gazing forlornly across the water, remembering. Somehow, she had talked him into putting his ring back on and coming home. When they got back, Damon had gone to bed. Exhausted, Elena had crawled in beside him and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. When she woke up again, for a moment she didn't know where she was until she realised that her head was resting on Damon's chest and that he was snoozing into her hair. Smiling, she nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his smell and allowing herself to enjoy the moment.

"Hey," Damon had felt her stirrings and he opened his eyes to look at her.

"What happened yesterday?" She remembered everything, of course, but she couldn't believe that so much could go on in one day. Damon had hardly been able to explain to her what'd happened at the apartment which supposedly belonged to Isobel before she had found herself chasing Stefan down.

"Everything," Damon replied, sensing her thoughts.

"And today I have to go help build the Miss Mystic float for the Founders Day parade," Elena sighed. Damon chuckled.

"I bet normal things have started feeling weird to you, haven't they?" Elena nodded, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"I have to do them though. I have to get on with my human life, right?" She stretched her muscles as she stood up. She tried to make herself feel some kind of enthusiasm about the upcoming parade. When had she become so brooding? The Elena Gilbert she once had known had enjoyed taking part in town events and dressing up for them.

"Yeah," Damon said, "Being human, glad I don't have to do that." She rolled her eyes at him. "So my field trip with the History teacher yielded no results at all, except that it involves your favourite uncle somehow."

"What is he up to?" Elena asked, pulling on her shoes. She was still in yesterday's clothes and make up but it would have to do for the day.

"I have no idea but I'd love if you could find out for me," Damon's eyes sparkled. Elena smiled ruefully at him, recalling her last conversation with John. She wasn't sure how much he'd be willing to divulge after she threatened him.

"I'll see. And I'm running late," She added, checking the time on her phone and noting the three missed calls from Caroline already.

"Have fun with the Mystic Queen, I know I did."

On her way out of the house, Elena was surprised to find Stefan also leaving. He had never come back out to speak to her the night before, but he looked healthier than he had done and had cleaned himself up, meaning that he had fed. Elena hoped that meant that he was back on the wagon and coming back to his usual self.  
"Can't risk the wrath of Caroline," He shrugged, and she knew that he didn't want to discuss the subject right then.

"Need a ride?" Elena offered. When they arrived at the school they found that most people were congregated in the cafeteria, receiving instruction from Alaric on who would be doing what for the float. The theme was the history of Mystic Falls this year and Elena felt like she had a window into the back of Caroline's head, seeing the Scarlett O'Hara hoop skirts and attitude blossoming before her mind's eye. She smiled at the thought but then she and Stefan were called over by Alaric.

"Good, you're here," He said, "I need to talk to you." Alaric led them down a hallway to his own empty classroom. Their footsteps echoed off the corridor walls, feeling eerie in a way that only being at school on a Saturday morning could. Elena took a seat on a desk and Stefan folded his arms, looking confused. A moment later, the door opened again and Damon strode in.

"Sorry I'm late, my dog ate my uh…"

"Thanks for coming, Damon," Rick said, ending Damon's imminent sarcasm.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"I saw Isobel last night," Alaric replied. Elena locked eyes with Damon and she could see that he was equally surprised as she was. She also glanced at Stefan out the corner of her eye. His expression hadn't changed but he was staring at Alaric with even more intensity.

"Isobel is in town?" Damon clarified. Alaric nodded.

"I went to the Grill after our little wasted journey and she walked in and demanded I set up a meeting between her and Elena." Elena swallowed this news, not knowing how to feel. Not long ago, when she had first found out she was adopted, she would have given anything to meet her birth mother, but that was before she found out that she was the kind of person who would abandon her husband to become a vampire and have people killed in order to protect her whereabouts. That wasn't the type of person Elena wanted as a mother. Yet, curiosity still lingered, even though she knew what she was going to find…

"Did you ask her about Uncle John?" Damon inquired. "Are they working together?"

"I didn't ask," Alaric confessed.

"The invention?"

"Didn't ask," He repeated.

"Does she know about the tomb vampires?" Damon took a dangerous step closer to Alaric, who didn't flinch.

"I don't know," Rick ground out through gritted teeth.

"Did words completely escape you?" Elena's hand twitched as she fought the urge to try and hold Damon back, but she didn't need to; Alaric wasn't fazed.

"I was a little distracted by my dead vampire wife." Damon huffed and turned away from Alaric, annoyed but clearly conceding the point. Nobody said anything for a few moments and Elena watched Damon, whose eyes were on his feet as he thought. Eventually, he looked up at her. "You don't have to see her if you don't want to."

"I don't have much of a choice. We know what she could be capable of," Elena sighed. Now that the initial shock was over, she had made up her mind: she never ever wanted to meet Isobel Fleming. Miranda Gilbert was her mother, and had raised her and cared for her until she died. Isobel was a psycho. But what she wanted may still not be the right thing to do.

"Nobody knows what she wants or what she's doing here," Stefan said, making her jump. For a moment, she had forgotten he and Alaric were also in the room, "And my guess is that she's threatened to go on a killing spree if she doesn't get what she wants?" Alaric confirmed this with a nod:

"That was it, almost word for word." Elena looked back at Damon.

"I'll go. Who knows, I might even regret it if I don't."

"Thanks for coming with me," Elena murmured to Damon as they entered the Mystic Grill.

"Stefan thinks that we should be more covert and not let her know I'm here with you," Damon informed her. Elena shook her head.

"She already knows who you are because you've met and if she's working with John then she knows pretty much everything." They sat down at a table and Elena glanced apprehensively around, and she saw her approaching. Isobel was beautiful. She had dark hair, pale skin and big eyes. However, the expression on her face was cold and hard. She took a seat opposite them.

"You really do look exactly like her. It's eerie," Isobel said without further ado.

"You've met Katherine?" Elena asked. She made sure not to glance at Damon; he had suspected as much, she knew, but that wouldn't lessen the blow for him to know that Katherine was even closer by than he'd thought.

"She found me after I turned. Genetic curiosity I suppose. She would be fascinated by you," Isobel's eyes moved across Elena's face, making her feel uncomfortable. Ignoring this, she too took the time to take in the details of Isobel's appearance; a strange stone in a necklace she wore that was clearly how she walked about in the daylight. Everything else was ordinary.

"Who's my father?" Elena demanded.

"A teenage waste of space," Isobel returned.

"A name would be nice." Elena was glad that her voice remained steady- she doubted that it would if Damon hadn't been sat right beside her. Isobel just smiled at this and said no more on the subject, much to Elena's frustration. Her mother's attention flickered over to Damon and she hated the way Isobel looked at him- with hunger. It just seemed so wrong.

"So you chose Damon over Stefan. Good choice, I must say. Although, Stefan's cute. Why not enjoy them both, like Katherine did?" Isobel asked. Elena was too shocked to speak. "I told Rick that I wanted to meet you alone."

"You don't always get what you want," Damon spoke for the first time. His voice was low.

"You didn't bring me here just to catch up," Elena said, recovering from her shock.

"Oh I was curious about you," Isobel smiled without any warmth, "But mostly I'm here looking for the same thing that your uncle is- Johnathon Gilbert's invention." Elena fought to keep her expression blank, "It's a shame that Pearl lady had to die because she didn't give me any answers, really."

"You killed Pearl?" Damon sounded angry.

"Actually, John did."

"How do you know John?" Elena demanded.

"Questions," Isobel said. "I know you have the invention, Damon. I was going to get Elena to get it from you, but I may as well cut out the middle man now you're here."

"I don't have it," Damon lied. Isobel clearly didn't believe him, "And even if I did, you and John Gilbert would lose your hands if you tried to take it."

"Pearl gave the invention to Elena to give to you. She told John that just before he staked her." Isobel was watching them closely, but Elena felt that she was becoming an expert at hiding her emotion. Damon was as smooth as still water, "You have a choice. Give the invention to me, or the blood will be on your hands." Elena's heart was in her throat.

"Was that a threat?" Damon leant forward across the table towards Isobel, "A word of advice, Isobel: I made you and I can break you. _I_ make the threats around here." Elena looked at him and she was able to see, for the first time in a while, the menace in him. Damon was terrifying when he wanted to be.

"Fine," Isobel smiled sweetly, "If you won't give it to me maybe you'd be willing to hand it over to Katherine." Isobel smirked satisfactorily when Elena twitched at this. She was looking at Damon, almost terrified that he would be swayed by Isobel's implicit offer. But she needn't have been worried.

"The only way I want to see Katherine again is if you bring me her cold, dead body. You're going to have to live with not getting what you want this time." Damon stood up and pulled Elena up with him by the arm, "Come on."

* * *

Damon could have snapped a table leg and staked Isobel in that moment. He could see the tears welling up in Elena's kind brown eyes and he only wanted her to hold it together so they could get out the door before Isobel saw how crushed Elena was. Despite her earlier insistence she didn't even want to meet her mother because she knew what she would find, Damon could tell that she was still devastated that even when they finally met face to face, Isobel clearly still felt nothing for the daughter she had abandoned. It made him furious that anybody would dare to hurt Elena, but there was nothing he could do in the middle of the Mystic Grill.

Matters were not made better on their way out. Bonnie was entering just as Damon and Elena reached the door. The two girls locked eyes and Elena paused. Bonnie even looked like she was going to say something; but then, the witch's eyes flickered to Damon and her face set. Elena moved past her, not looking back at her best friend. Once outside, Damon walked a little closer to Elena. Across the street, they could see Stefan and Alaric waiting on a bench in the square.

"What was that with the Wicked Witch of the West?" He asked her, his voice a murmur.

"Nothing," Elena said, her voice strained as she struggled to hold back the tears. Damon grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop and turn back towards him, "Damon…"

"Elena, you just met your evil bitch birth mother for the first time. You do not have to pretend not to be upset." He fixed her with a stern look and Elena cracked after a few seconds. She blinked and allowed a few tears to fall.

"I just… I didn't expect any different, you know… I just…"

"Wish it had been," Damon finished. Elena nodded.

"Yeah," She agreed sadly. He drew her into his arms, holding her had against his chest, stroking her soft brown hair. Elena held onto him for a minute as she pulled herself together. Damon held her until she was done; her tears didn't show against his dark shirt.

"Okay?" He asked, and she nodded, "Alright, let's go." He dropped her off back at the school, where she was still required to help build the Founders Day float. It seemed strange to send her off to do something so mundane and normal after everything that had just transpired, and as he drove away Damon found himself wishing, not for the first time, that his compulsion hadn't broken the night they'd met- that, or that they had never met at all, for Elena's sake. It was unfair that she was tangled up in everything.

As soon as he got home, he retrieved the Gilbert device. One thing was for sure and that was that he had to get rid of this as soon as possible, before Isobel could track it down, and more importantly so that John Gilbert couldn't use it to kill him. He wasn't sure that was what it did, of course, but there weren't many other possibilities that would make somebody like John want it so badly. And if this really did involve Katherine…

"She's trying to come back," Damon muttered to himself. He was stood overlooking the same quarry that Emily had taken himself and Stefan to after they had entered transition in 1864. Not much had changed except for the fact that the old cabin was gone. Elena had been exhausted from talking Stefan out of killing himself at this very spot just hours before. He wasn't sure what reasons Katherine would have for coming back after all this time; it certainly wasn't for him. Maybe for Stefan? In all honesty, he was surprised that she hadn't tried to contact either of them in the 145 years that she had been gone. Whichever one she'd wanted, she could have explained. Especially if she had chosen Damon. Once, he would have forgiven her anything… but not now. She had deceived him for too long, put his life on pause for over a century as he waited for the time that he would be able to bring her back. Any thoughts of a romantic reunion had vanished the night he realised they were not in the tomb. At first he had been distraught and heartbroken but now, he hated her. And he was not going to make her life easier by handing over this device. If she wanted it, she would have to come and get it from him herself.

Damon removed the device from his pocket and looked at it for a second, remembering the man who had invented it, Johnathon Gilbert. His father had been close friends with him and he had been a kind man, though Damon had stopped thinking so when he found out their plans to kill every vampire in Mystic Falls. Sighing, he went back to his car and retrieved a plastic bag before grabbing a rock from the side of the quarry. He placed it with the device into the bag and hurled it with all of his vamp strength into the water. Whoever wanted it would have to get it back themselves. He had finally made up his mind about Katherine Pierce.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I didn't get this up in the past couple of days! I've been really busy and this just seemed to take me an unusually long amount of time to write. I hope you guys like it though! Also, happy new year everybody, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited this story, it means the world! It's been a good 2015.**


	39. The Weapon

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Weapon**

"Where did you go?" Caroline demanded as Elena arrived back at school. The activity of building the float was definitely fully underway by now and students were bustling about all over the place.

"I… it was urgent," Elena replied evasively.

"Whatever, look, you're on decoration inside so hurry, the boys are building the actual float," Elena glanced where Caroline pointed, where she could see Matt and Tyler hard at work on the manual part of building it. Caroline had already hurried off by the time Elena looked back at her, so she resigned herself to her fate and went inside, heading back to the cafeteria to see what she needed to do. Despite the fact that her meeting with her birth mother had been a complete disaster, the thing that was running mostly through her mind was the way Bonnie had looked from Elena to Damon before she had walked right by. The last thing she had spoken to Bonnie about was the Gilbert device, though the witch had cut her short before she'd fully explained. Elena couldn't blame her for wanting to stay out of things, but still…

' _ **Meet me in the Math room'**_ Elena re-read the message a few times to ensure she wasn't imagining it before setting off immediately. When she entered the empty classroom, she found Bonnie sat a desk, leafing through an old book.  
"Hey, thanks for meeting me," Bonnie said as Elena approached somewhat awkwardly, "I wanted you to see this," She indicated the book, which Elena recognised on closer inspection.

"Is that Emily's grimoire?" She hadn't seen or thought about the spellbook since the disastrous opening of the tomb below Fell's church.

"I've been going through it since Grams died," Bonnie replied, "Check this out." Elena sat down and leaned over the page Bonnie was indicating. It contained a familiar sketch.

"That's the vampire compass," Elena recognised the device which pointed to vampires when held by a human that Emily had destroyed whilst possessing Bonnie's body. That felt like a million years ago now.

"According to Emily, Johnathon Gilbert wasn't actually some great inventor. She spelled everything- the compass, the rings, and the device which you told me about." Elena frowned as Bonnie flipped over the page to show her a similar sketch of the mysterious device that Isobel so coveted. At the thought of her birth mother, Elena felt a lump rising in her throat again but she swallowed it determinedly. Bonnie wasn't fooled. "You know what, hold on for a second. Tell me what's going on."

"What?" Elena asked.

"We can't talk about this and not mention the elephant in the room. I'm sorry I've been such a crappy friend to you lately, Elena, but I was so angry at Damon for everything that happened… I knew you were upset earlier at the Grill and I didn't say anything. That's just… I can't do that. You're my best friend." In spite of her efforts, Bonnie's clearly sincere apology had Elena's tears finally spilling over again. She wiped at them furiously, though Damon's voice repeated itself in her head: _"You do not have to pretend not to be upset."_

"I just met my birth mother," Elena said.

"Oh," Bonnie's green eyes went very wide.

"Yeah… Bonnie she's awful. She's after the device and I don't think she's gonna stop… trying to hurt everybody… until she's got it." Bonnie was immediately hugging her, soothing her.

"Elena, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," She said, "I should've been there with you like… well, like Damon has been." Bonnie drew back from the hug, looking conflicted. "I guess he's been good to you, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," Elena sniffed, "He has." There was a pause between the two girls before both of them silently agreed to go back to business.

"So, Emily pledged her allegiance to Katherine, but she couldn't stand to see innocent people getting killed and the only way she could think of helping was by allowing Johnathon Gilbert to believe that he'd invented these devices," Bonnie continued. Elena looked down at the page with the sketch of the device on, trying and failing to decipher the calligraphic writing beside it upside down.

"Does it say what it does?" Elena asked finally. Bonnie bent over the writing for a moment, reading, and when she looked back up she looked confused.

"Are you sure this is what Isobel wants?" Bonnie checked in a strangely hushed voice.

"She made herself pretty clear," Elena confirmed, remembering the threat Isobel had implied and which Damon had taken so very unkindly to.

"This is a weapon against vampires," Bonnie told her.

* * *

"A weapon?" Damon was back home by the time Elena called him and he ran his hand through his hair, feeling as confused and surprised as Elena sounded when she explained what Bonnie had told her, "You're sure Bonnie the Teenage Witch didn't misread or, you know, lie?"

"Damon, she wasn't lying, I saw it for myself," Elena answered, sounding a little disgruntled, though Damon thought she should be able to see why he might question whether he could really trust her vampire-hating witch friend to be on their side.

"Well if Isobel wants it she will have to go and get it," He said matter-of-factly, "I got rid of it." He heard her breath of relief being released.

"Where is it?" She asked him.

"Gone," He replied.

"Elena!" He heard Jeremy call in the background.

"One second," Elena said, leaving him on the line as she conversed with her brother. Damon was hardly paying attention until the very end of the exchange between the Gilbert's given that it concerned Anna. But then Jeremy said:

"I know what Anna is and I know that you know," Damon's ears perked up then. He had definitely compelled away Jeremy's memory and knowledge of vampires from when Vicki Donovan had been staked. He'd had no idea that Jeremy was even still friends with Anna given that she was going to use him as a blood bag for her mother, but Damon thought they should have seen this coming if he was still going to hang out with her. Jeremy stormed off and Damon heard Elena breathing for a minute before she spoke to him:

"Did you hear that?" She asked him quietly.

"Yeah," Damon replied, rubbing his eyes.

"What do I do?"

"Nothing for now," He told her, "Just…"

"Elena!" Damon cursed Caroline this time for the interruption, "Elena, I just got a call from Isobel? She said to look at that guy up there," Elena was asking Caroline how she knew Isobel, though Damon guessed she'd been compelled for information. But then there were a lot of loud cries and screams and Elena hung up the call, leaving Damon hanging with no idea what was going on.

* * *

Elena watched as Stefan hurried over to the trailer that had just been dropped on top of Matt's arm. Together, he and Tyler lifted it off their friend, who was moaning in pain. Elena, sickened, looked around, searching. By the time she did a full search of her surroundings, Isobel was standing right in front of her, smiling coldly.

"It's very easy to hurt the people you care about, Elena," She told her smugly.

"Why are you doing this?" Matt was clearly in agony. The others were arguing about the best way of getting Matt to the hospital, but Elena was rooted to the spot by Isobel, "Is this just because of that stupid device?"

"Hand it over and this will all stop," Isobel told her, "I'll leave you and your friends alone."

"Damon got rid of the device, Isobel, so I can't help you," Elena found her voice somewhere. She enjoyed the shock that crossed her birth mother's face when she told her this with great satisfaction, "I was just speaking to him and he told me it's gone."

"I don't believe you," Isobel said, though she sounded uncertain.

"You don't have to believe me. I don't even know where it is and Damon isn't going to tell me so you won't be able to torture it out of me by messing with my friends. I hope you had a plan B," Elena added venomously, surprising herself even as she spoke. She had never been assertive or super-feisty, but when she was confronted with Isobel all she felt was fury, the kind of fury that gave her a hard-as-stone posture and dry confidence.

"Damon will tell you if you ask nicely," Isobel told her.

"He won't." Elena would have to hope that she was correct in interpreting why Damon hadn't answered her question properly.

"You're underestimating how far he would go for you, Elena. He would risk everything," There was something different in Isobel's expression when she said this, a glimmer of… sadness?

"He will kill you before he gives it up," Elena assured her, ignoring that flicker of emotion. She couldn't afford to break in her short fit of strength now.

"Is that before or after I kill your brother Jeremy?" Elena spun around suddenly, looking towards the direction Jeremy had exited in, but he was gone.

"Jeremy?" Elena called, "Jeremy?" He definitely wasn't there, but as she called out, she saw Stefan's head turn in her direction and read the worry on his face. He had obviously been listening to her exchange with Isobel. He was rising to his feet as Matt, Tyler and Caroline settled how they were getting to the hospital. Elena hurried towards Stefan.

"Elena, we'll find him," Stefan said immediately, catching her as she tried to stop running too abruptly and steadying her, "He's going to be okay."

"She's not going to let him go unless she has the device, Stefan," Elena's voice cracked with panic. The idea of anything happening to Jeremy was her worst nightmare; she couldn't bear having her little brother hurt. It was bad enough alone that he knew about vampires and the fact she'd been lying to him and everybody else they knew, but she didn't want him caught up with them and hurt in the process. Her little brother was _not_ collateral damage.

"We can't give her that device, Elena," Stefan's voice was hard, "Whatever it does…"

"It's a weapon against vampires," Elena told him, recalling everything Bonnie had told her not an hour before. It seemed strange that they were having this conversation amidst the crowd of students working on the float. Stefan's face set firmly.

"She can't have that device," Stefan repeated. But Elena's mind, fuelled by anxiety, had jumped a step. Isobel couldn't have the device if it was harmful to vampires. But if it wasn't harmful to vampires…

* * *

Stefan retrieved the device from the quarry in the end, though he did not look pleased to be freezing cold and soaked through when he returned to the house with the plastic bag in hand. He grumbled as Damon smirked at him, but Elena handed him a towel and sweater she had waiting.  
"I still think we should have just kicked ass to get Jeremy back," Damon told them all as Bonnie settled at the desk in the library. He had argued vehemently against trusting Bonnie Bennett to do them a favour and for giving Isobel anything she wanted.

"And then kick ass again to get back Jenna, or Matt, or Caroline, or whoever else she targeted next?" Stefan restated the same argument he had used earlier. Elena wouldn't look at Damon so he knew that the fact he'd been reluctant to go along with their plan had annoyed her. He couldn't be swayed though.

"This is all going to go very badly wrong." Bonnie did her chanting part and Damon watched the device's motion as it levitated, glowed, and then faded back to its mysterious and innocuous form. The witch looked around at him smugly.

"The spell has been removed. Now you go give it to her and get Jeremy back."

"You don't need to tell me what to do, Bon-Bon," Damon snapped angrily. Bonnie just smirked and got to her feet, handing the device to Elena. Isobel had wanted to meet her daughter alone, but neither he nor his brother trusted this plan. So, as they headed to the town square, they circled around the clock tower, giving Elena the appearance of being alone whilst they remained within hearing and seeing distance. Isobel arrived a few minutes after Elena.

"Where is the device?" Isobel demanded immediately.

"Where is my brother?" Elena returned. Damon felt a rush of pride at her courage.

"This isn't a negotiation. Where is the invention?"

"Where is my brother?" Elena repeated again. Damon suppressed a chuckle. This was the girl he liked having in his life, the strong, brave one who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

"Do you really think that I came alone?" Isobel asked, and Damon saw two of her minions, a male and female, emerge out of the darkness behind Elena. Just as they had suspected, Isobel had brought back up.

"Did you really think that _I_ came alone?" On cue, he and Stefan stepped forward behind Isobel, who looked around at them. Damon smirked a sardonic greeting while Stefan remained stony faced and menacing beside him. He was pleased to see Isobel's confidence waver; she couldn't beat both brothers together. They each had a century and a half on her.

"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy," Elena did so, looking a little confused. Jeremy picked up the phone, and Elena shut the conversation down as soon as she knew that her brother was okay. She glared at Isobel accusingly.

"You were never going to hurt him."

"I was going to kill him," Isobel corrected, "Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any." Elena did her best to hide the sadness when Isobel said that but Damon saw it dance across her eyes. He felt his hands twitch as he fought the urge to snap Isobel's neck.

"Damon never wanted to get this device back. You took a risk with him."

"He'd do anything you ask of him, Elena. He's in love with you." Suddenly there seemed to be no oxygen left in the world. Damon felt time stand still. Stefan turned his head to look at him and Elena's eyes were suddenly on him. He wanted to run. Although he knew that he and Elena had something, had known for a while that he had feelings of some kind for her, he had never ever put a name to it. They had never labelled their relationship, never discussed their feelings, and best of all, he had made sure not to acknowledge them. His love for Katherine had meant the destruction of everything good he'd had in his long life- he hadn't wanted the same thing to happen with himself and Elena. He wanted to deny it, say that love was too strong of a word, but Isobel's bluntness rendered him speechless.

His eyes went to his brother's face. Stefan didn't look surprised, or upset. He looked… relieved.

"Thank you," Elena said, drawing their attention back to the matter at hand.

"For what?" Isobel asked.

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact." The feistiness of this statement burned away at the strange, icy feeling that had washed over Damon when Isobel had spoken.

"Goodbye, Elena," Isobel said, "As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm you're doomed. You're not smart like Katherine was- she got out. But you are lucky to have lost one of them already." Isobel vanished into the night then, and Damon could hear a roaring in his ears as Elena and Stefan turned towards him. He couldn't look at her. He wasn't ready for this conversation.

Damon turned and left.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy 2016!**

 **Okay so a few things just so you understand what I'm doing here. I know the throwing it in the quarry seems random now, but it's actually going to be a useful reference point throughout. So don't worry guys, hold onto your hats there. Also I just wanted to ask given that we're coming to end of the season 1 plot arc... I think I will continue to write season 2 in this story, but I think that I will definitely have to split off when we reach season 3 unless we want this entire story to end up 300 chapters long. I don't divide how I write by episode, I break chapters when it feels natural to me to do so, so it doesn't exactly aline and is longer. But from now on I am going to try harder to write more per chapter rather than suffer this becoming impossible to read all the way through if you're new to the story. So look forward to much longer chapters guys, which may take me a little longer to write. Most of this story I have uploaded a chapter almost everyday, and I am still going to update frequently, I'm just warning you that if we go into the 5 or 6000 words region then it's going to take me a bit longer. Okay I'll stop with this essay now, please drop me a review letting me know your opinions on this and of course the actual story!**


	40. The Right Thing

**Chapter Forty: The Right Thing**

"We need to talk," Damon did not appreciate being woken up by Stefan. He had gone to great lengths to stay away from his brother since the confrontation with Isobel- he had done a lot to stay away from everybody in fact. He hated admitting to himself that what she had said had freaked him out, but there was no other word for it. He had even considered leaving town, but something wouldn't let him- that memory of Elena begging with him not to make her watch him leave. Damon got out of bed abruptly.

"Nope," He told his younger brother, "We don't."

"Damon, what Isobel said…" Stefan began.

"I'm not listening," Damon talked over him as he left the room, "La la la la la…" Stefan vamp-sped in front of him on his way into the bathroom, blocking his path.

"You can't run away from this forever," Stefan said seriously.

"No," Damon agreed, "But I can try." The day of the Founders Day parade had finally arrived. It was themed around Mystic Falls' history and most people were dressing up in 19th century clothing. Damon personally didn't wish to revisit the 1860s in any sense, but he was amused a few hours later when he met up with Stefan in town again.

"Look at you, all retro," He commented, indicating his brother's attire. Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, "I thought you were running away from this for as long as possible?"

"Running away from what? When Elena's here you're not going to bring the awkward stuff up, I know you. And with the device deactivated and Isobel gone, I'm here to eat cotton candy and reminisce on old times." Damon smirked, looking around at everybody all dressed up. Carol Lockwood was ordering people around, trying to get everything in the right place for the parade to begin.

"Damon, I know what you're like when you're in love with somebody," Stefan began.

"Stefan," Damon cut him off, "Elena is not Katherine." They looked at each other for a minute, but then Stefan nodded.

"You're right, she's not," Damon looked around and, speak of the devil, Elena was approaching, looking spectacular in her 19th century dress- spectacularly _like_ Katherine, ironically. Both he and Stefan were totally speechless for a second, and Damon knew that his brother was experiencing the exact same unsettling déjà vu that he was. Elena smiled at the sight of them and made a show of curtseying. Caroline ran over to her for photos then and Damon tore his eyes away to look back at Stefan.

"That was weird," His brother said in a half-strangled voice. Damon nodded stiffly, "We need to tell her about John."

"What?" Damon said blankly.

"She doesn't know he's her father." They looked back over at Elena posing for photos with Caroline and silently came to the same conclusion: "Maybe we'll give her some time to figure stuff out with the family she actually likes," Stefan suggested. Elena had tried to greet Jeremy as he passed by her but he had given her the cold shoulder. Damon narrowed his eyes in the younger Gilbert's direction and excused himself. He might not be able to quite face Elena yet, but he could at least help her out with this problem. He vamped after Jeremy, coming to a halt in front of him.

"Risky move in a place full of people," Jeremy said nastily. He obviously thought he was some sort of expert on vampires now that he knew one, "What are you here for? Come to compel away my memories again?"

"Jeremy, I don't have time for your crap so you'd better listen," Damon snapped, "I compelled your memories away to help you because you couldn't handle what happened with Vicki and I couldn't handle you being a liability who might spill the beans to the town council. So before you go blaming Elena for ruining your life by protecting you from getting killed a few dozen times, think about _that_." Jeremy glared at Damon before trying to push past him. Damon seized him and span him forcefully back round.

"Did you know that Anna's mother is dead?" He asked.

"Yes. Your uncle staked her on behalf of Elena's mother." Damon was satisfied to see the surprise ripple across Jeremy's features, "What, your sadistic little girlfriend didn't tell you the reason why? Jer, no vampire has clean hands but you could at least find out the whole story before you go tossing the blame around."

"Is that all?" Jeremy asked moodily. Damon let go of his shoulders.

"Get out of my sight." He wasn't entirely sure that his signature combination of threatening behaviour and intimidation had persuaded Jeremy to forgive Elena, but he was certain that the boy might apply his brain now. He turned around just in time to hear Carol Lockwood making the call to start the parade.

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome our stunning Miss Mystic Falls court and their handsome escorts!" Damon was glad that he had ducked this event. Stefan and Elena, along with Matt and Caroline, got up on the float in costume, smiling and waving around at anybody. Damon glanced around and spotted Bonnie nearby, waving at Elena. He stepped in front of her sarcastically to wave at Elena instead, and he saw her roll her eyes at him from the float. He chuckled to himself as he turned around to look at Bonnie. He expected her to storm off but she actually paused.

"What do you want?" She asked. So, despite the strange act of her actually deigning to speak to him, she was still being hostile.

"Just watching the parade," Damon replied, indicating the festivities surrounding them. Bonnie grimaced and turned to leave, as he had expected her to before, but he called her back, "I want to say something to you!" She looked around at him sharply.

"What?"

"Thank you," He told her, "The device that Emily spelled could have killed me. I don't take lightly what you did so… thank you."

"I did it for Elena," Bonnie responded.

"I know that, but I'm still very grateful. And… I owe you," He added. He had given the matter some thought and had decided that building bridges with Bonnie would most likely be beneficial to him in the future, if she allowed him to do so. She was looking at him strangely then, though he supposed that she was just surprised that he would bother thanking her given he had been so reluctant to put faith in her ability to actually do the spell. Bonnie walked away then, still looking unsettled.

He headed straight into the Grill after that exchange. He wasn't particularly interested in watching the parade and he thought that he would probably need to be a little buzzed to deal with the aftermath of whatever Stefan was bound to say to Elena while they were in the parade. His brother had definitely had something of an attitude shift towards him in recent times and Damon found it quite refreshing that they were finally on better terms… though he was still confused on where they stood on initially falling for the same girl again.

Eventually, his senses told him that Elena had entered the Grill. He waited for her to approach him at the bar before he turned around, knowing that it unnerved her when he reacted to her presence before it seemed natural.  
"Oh, thank god," He said, taking in her appearance in modern clothing, "The period look didn't suit you."

"Is that an insult?" She asked, teasingly.

"It's a compliment of the highest order, believe me," His heart still did an ugly flip in his chest when he remembered how much she had resembled his memory of Katherine in that dress. He had actually begun to forgot that Elena was her doppelganger completely- reminders like that were very unwelcome.

"Look, Damon, about what Isobel said…" Elena began, but then trailed off.

"What about it?" He might be acting like a jerk but he didn't want to help her along with this. He knew what she was going to ask and he wasn't even sure if he was capable of giving her an answer just then.

"Well, is it… I mean… is it true?" And there it was, the question he had been dreading. He looked down at Elena and he tried to find the answer in himself. Was he in love with Elena? Was this what love felt like? He had crossed the line from love to obsession with Katherine a century ago. It had felt different, but perhaps that was why. He swallowed and Elena took up the baton again.  
"I know that since I've known you we've become… we've gotten close. I'm closer to you than I ever have been with anyone, Damon, and I've known for a long time how I felt for you, even if I've never said it… and I can't say it, Damon, not unless I know you feel the same. Because if you don't, and I tell you… it'd kill me. We've been through too much together for that." Damon envied her. She knew how to put things into words; he had no idea.

"Elena, I…" His throat felt very dry, "I hardly know what love is. I don't know if I can…" Elena turned and ran away before she could hear anything else.

* * *

Elena gulped in the fresh air outside as she exited the Grill. She felt sure she knew what Damon was about to say; that he didn't want to be with her, that he couldn't be in a relationship… but Elena hadn't been able to think of anything else since Isobel had said he was in love with her. She wasn't sure if he was, but she knew there was something there, and she knew that whatever it was, it absolutely terrified Damon. Up until then, she had been content with what they had- a kind of intimate friendship, with stolen kisses and touches. She had been as keen as him to not put a label on anything because he was a vampire, she was a human, and everybody hated the idea of him being with her. At that moment though, Elena felt sick to her stomach with love. The time had come; she was completely in love with Damon Salvatore and if she couldn't be with him, she at least didn't want to be completely without him.

She wiped away a few stray tears and looked up to find Jeremy approaching the Grill. When he'd seen her he had made to turn away, but then he noticed that she was upset and became rooted to the spot.  
"Jer?" She said. There was a very long and awkward pause.

"Damon spoke to me," He told her finally.

"Oh?" She asked, her voice a little strangled.

"And just now, so did Stefan. They both said it wasn't your fault what happened to Vicki… and I get that. But erasing my memory? That wasn't up to you. You shouldn't have done that." His voice was hard and firm. Elena swallowed and found her voice.

"Jeremy, I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you from the pain… you've already suffered so much pain."

"But it was _my_ pain, Elena, not yours." He shook his head and walked away. Elena spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around, feeling lost. She decided to push all thoughts of Damon out of her mind to prevent herself from crying and instead concentrated on what was now, strangely, one of her lesser problems.

Stefan had told her after the parade that they suspected John was her father. She had had to admit to herself that the thought had crossed her mind more than once since he had come back to town. For starters, the way he felt so entitled to enshrine himself into her life, warning her against Damon and seeming to have an eye on her. But when Stefan had explained the details, it had fallen into place in her mind: Isobel had been a teen mom, who had gone to Grayson Gilbert when she was having her baby. Her parents had taken them in because it was John's baby, but then Isobel had split and John had practically been a kid himself- not to mention, selfish to a fault. She was glad that Grayson and Miranda had raised her now more than ever, because her childhood had been a very happy one, free of any drama. But now, as a young woman, he knew she would have to confront the fact that her actual birth father was somebody she neither liked nor trusted- and somebody who, given half the chance, would kill two of the people she was closest to. Elena had no idea how she was supposed to bring this up with John.

Night eventually fell and everybody began getting ready for the firework display that was promised to end the long run of Founder's events. The town square was packed and she was glad to have run into Stefan.  
"Hey," He greeted her, "Did you find him?"

"Yeah," She nodded sadly.

"And?"

"I left before he could tell me he doesn't want me." Stefan looked at her in part-sympathy and part-exasperation.

"You both can't avoid this forever, Elena. And besides, I'm still pretty sure Isobel was right about him. I never would have believed it myself but… he's different with you, Elena. He's more like the brother I remember having before Katherine screwed everything up for us." Elena smiled and squeezed Stefan's hand, appreciating his support. He had earlier admitted that he still had feelings for her, but that he respected her feelings too and would be her friend no matter what. It must have been hard for him to do it, but he had taken a step back from the situation, at least for now.

"Thank you, Stefan. You're a good friend." Stefan smiled back, but then his expression changed as he looked at something over her shoulder. Elena turned to find Damon stalking towards them, his expression deadly serious. He grabbed her hand.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her heart in her mouth.

"Saving your life," Damon replied snappily, confirming her instinct that something was very wrong, "Fifteen words or less… tomb vamps are here, Founding families are their target. Get her out of here, now!" He fired at his brother, before turning to walk back off.

"Wait, where are you going?" Stefan called.

"That's more than fifteen words," Damon called back. Elena looked at Stefan, stricken.

"Jeremy is out here somewhere," She gasped to him. Stefan's expression set.

"We'll find him, come on!" They pushed through the milling crowds, holding onto each other's hands for dear life, searching desperately for her younger brother. Elena thought she knew why Founders were their targets; their ancestors were responsible for locking the vampires up in the first place. They passed Caroline, Matt and Tyler heading for a car as they searched, though they didn't stop to listen to the invite. Elena was just glad for their sakes that Caroline and Tyler were getting out of harm's way as they were both members of Founding families too. Up at the stage, Tyler's father was starting to give the speech building up to the fireworks. Elena kept glancing around, trying to figure out if she'd recognise anybody as a tomb vampire, but she was panicking too much about Jeremy to concentrate.

Halfway across the town square, near the Grill, Stefan suddenly dropped to his knees, groaning in pain. Elena dropped down beside him.  
"Stefan, what-?" She glanced around and saw a few other people drop, whilst others looked around, confused. A deputy policeman was running towards them but then Alaric appeared out of nowhere and sent him off. Alaric then hurried towards them. "I don't know what happened, he just dropped," She told him anxiously.

"The cops have gotten everyone whose gone down, injecting them with vervain," Alaric explained hurriedly as he helped Stefan to stand. Stefan was still holding his head, clearly in agony. Elena began helping him with Alaric towards a set of steps leading down and out of sight of the town square. The truth of what was going on had finally hit her.

"They're rounding up the vampires," She concluded with horror. Suddenly it was no longer Jeremy she was worried about; it was Damon. Alaric hurried back to the scene, leaving her to care for Stefan.

"The device," Stefan groaned, "It must have worked..."

"What? No… no… Bonnie deactivated it." Elena swallowed. Had Bonnie's spell gone wrong? Or… but no, Bonnie wouldn't do that. Bonnie wouldn't betray them, or lie. She wouldn't have just pretended to deactivate the device would she? _"Emily pledged her allegiance to Katherine, but she couldn't stand to see innocent people getting killed"._ Suddenly, Stefan let go of his head and collapsed to his knees again, breathing heavily. It appeared that the device was finished doing what it was supposed to do.  
"Are you okay?" Elena asked him.

"It was like needles piercing my skull… then it just stopped," He told her. Alaric reappeared.

"They're taking them to your family's old building," He informed them, "I saw at least five vampires go down at there."

"Bonnie can't have deactivated the device… I mean, why would she?" Stefan sighed, "We were asking her to deactivate something that protects people from vampires."

"She was doing it to protect you," Elena didn't want to accept that her best friend had lied. She just couldn't.

"And Damon," Stefan said pointedly, "Vampires. Where is Damon?" He added, and Elena's fear returned on full blast. She hoped he had gotten away before anybody could see him collapse, but something told her, being his reckless self, that Damon would have gone straight after John to try and stop him. Elena got to her feet and looked at Alaric.

"Rick, will you get my brother and take him home?"

"Of course." Elena and Stefan tore out of there.

There was no time for conversation on the way over to her father's old practise. Over recent months they had actually been trying to sell it, and it had seemed that Pearl was going to buy it before she died. Elena had no particular affection for Anna or her mother, but she knew that they had done their best to make amends and try to settle down and live quiet lives. She couldn't blame anybody for that, especially not after what Pearl had been through in the tomb.

Finally, they arrived outside the building to find John standing outside the door. He looked quite smug as they approached him, and Elena could see the flames where he had set it on fire in order to make sure that all the captured vampires died.  
"Where is Damon?" Elena demanded.

"With the rest of them, where he should be," John smiled, and Elena hurled herself at him, wishing she had all of Damon's strength so that she could snap his neck, but Stefan grabbed her and held her back. "I'm doing what should have been done one hundred and forty five years ago, Elena. This is the right thing!"

"You think this is _right_?" Her violent anger left her as suddenly as it had come, being replaced by a new feeling. A cold, dead kind of feeling that she didn't recognise at first because she had never felt it before, not quite this intensely. But once she understood what it was, she drew strength and dignity from it. Stefan let her go and she drew herself up to her full height and looked her birth father in the eye. He seemed unable to meet her gaze though and instead looked at Stefan, whose eyes were on the building.

"Go ahead, you won't make it out," John dared, "It'll save me the trouble of killing you myself." Stefan ignored this and looked at Elena. She saw the unspoken question there.

"There's a utility door around the side," She told him. Stefan nodded and he headed for it. Elena made to follow him, but John grabbed her arm. "Let _go_ of me." The Elena Gilbert that had been before she had known Damon Salvatore would never have been able to give a command like that and have somebody listen, but John let go of her arm.

"You take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire," He threatened.

"I'm asking you not to," If this was the way the topic was going to be broached, then so be it. She could be moments away from losing Damon and after that it didn't matter what else was wrong because she couldn't take losing him.

"That doesn't mean anything to me," John told her.

"As my father, it should." She had already known, had been certain since Stefan had filled her in, but the expression on his face then said it all.

"You know," John said simply.

"I do now," She replied, then turned away from him and marched towards the building after Stefan.

* * *

Damon had certainly been surprised to find Mayor Lockwood being led into the basement with the vampires. He was positive the man wasn't a vampire but for the device to have affected him, there had to be something… well, he supposed, as he looked over at the Mayor's dead body, he would never find out the answer. The bright orange flames were hot and engulfing the entire building by now. He didn't have long left and he didn't have the strength in him to get out because of the vervain John had injected him with. He should have known better than to go after him… he hadn't thought things through, he never did.

Just as he hadn't thought through what he was going to say to Elena. He had known that eventually they would have to talk about their relationship and what it actually was. But, he had put it off in his own mind, denied his own feelings. He had believed he couldn't love anybody else other than Katherine, and then after he had discovered the truth about her he had decided that love was doomed… but, as the building collapsed around him, as death approached, and as he saw Anna, Pearl's daughter, Jeremy's girlfriend, die, he knew the truth then. He knew that he loved Elena.

Somewhere nearby he heard a crash, and then the flames seemed to temper a bit. Then, above him stood Stefan.  
"Damon! Come on! Hurry!" He seized him and pulled him to a standing position but Damon was too weak from vervain to stand. Stefan ran with him up the stairs from the basement and then out the door. Damon gasped in the clean night air, clear of smoke and flame, to find Elena and Bonnie looking at him. Stefan put him down and he grabbed onto the wall to help himself remain standing. The world was swimming before him. He needed blood. Before anything else, he needed to feed, he needed to chase the vervain out of his system. And so, he lurched off, leaving them. He was glad when nobody followed him.

He managed to find his way back to his car, which he opened and pulled out a blood bag. He slurped it all down fast, collapsing against the side of the car until he felt his strength returned to him. It was slow, but he healed up eventually and felt better. Then, he looked up at the sky. What a night this had turned out to be.

One image was stuck in his brain though, and that was of Anna. He had a lot of people to be angry at- Katherine for ruining his ability to love purely, Bonnie for betraying them, and John Gilbert for almost killing him currently topping the list. But one person he had no reason to avoid was Jeremy Gilbert.  
Jenna was home, as was John, so he had to sneak in so as not to be caught. He headed upstairs and along the hallway to Jeremy's room. His door was ajar, and Damon pushed it all the way open. Jeremy closed a draw and looked around.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded moodily.

"Anna's dead," Damon had never been good at the sensitive approach.

"I figured that once they took her away," Jeremy replied, and Damon nodded.

"I know you cared about her. I… saw her killed. I was watching and all I could do was watch. I wanted to help her but I couldn't." Jeremy looked away from him, clearly uncomfortable and confused. Damon couldn't say he didn't share the same feelings.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Jer, I get that when I took your memories away last time, you didn't have a choice and that was wrong. But I took away your suffering, and I can do it again… but it's your choice." Jeremy's head snapped up at this and he looked into Damon's eyes, as if wondering something. "What I did to Vicki was wrong and I am sorry for my part."

"You know the suffering was still there even if I didn't know what it was. It didn't fix what was really wrong," Jeremy told him, choosing his words carefully, "But then Anna told me that vampires can shut off their feelings. Like flipping a switch." Damon recognised that tone of voice and he knew instinctively why. Jeremy and Anna had had the conversation; the one about whether Jeremy should turn.

"I did it for a very long time, Jer," Damon told him, "Life still sucks, but you don't have to feel bad about it. It's easier." He knew he had told Jeremy the truth. He also knew that if Jeremy wanted to become a vampire and had the means to, there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped that he wouldn't, because Elena would be beside herself.

She was right in front of him then, carrying her dress from the parade, which already felt like it happened years ago. Elena looked surprised to see him.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Failed and feeble attempt to do the right thing," Damon joked grimly.

"Which was…?" She cocked her head to the side curiously.

"It's not important. Let me take this for you." As he took the dress, his hand brushed hers. Her hand was cool. He set the dress down but he felt suddenly tense again. "Who would have thought I would end up wanting to protect this town? I don't do good. It's not in me."

"Maybe it is," Elena suggested, looking up at him.

"No, it's for people like you, and my brother, and Bonnie… who never would have saved me if it wasn't for you, Elena. You decided I was worth saving, God knows why… and I've never quite gotten around to thanking you for that."

"Well," Elena said, "You're welcome." He sighed and kissed her on the cheek, but as he pulled back there was something in her eyes… Elena was leaning into kiss him again, but he stopped her.

"It's been a really long day, Elena. We'll talk about it tomorrow." She nodded and he left her on the porch.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks a lot to Quindecim and luvfordelena for your reviews- they got eaten up by the website but I did read them and I appreciate them a lot!**


	41. Touch

_**As we have gotten onto the season 2 events now, I just thought I'd add in a reminder that I do not own the Vampire Diaries or anything here that you recognise. I should be so lucky! Thanks for reading all the way this far, I hope you enjoy what is to come!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Forty-One: Touch**

Elena was just getting out of her car outside her house when Stefan called.  
"Hey," She greeted him tiredly as she picked up the phone.

"Hey. Tyler Lockwood crashed his car tonight. Caroline's in hospital." Elena stopped and groaned out loud. And there she had been thinking that things couldn't possibly get any worse than they already were. "Is she okay?"

"She's in a pretty bad way. I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of more bad news," Stefan added. Elena sighed.

"It's not your fault. I'll just check on Jeremy and then I'll go to the hospital," She replied.

"I'll see you there," Stefan promised, and they hung up the call. After Damon had taken off, Elena had gone back to find her dress from the parade, but someone seemed to have taken it. She'd given it up as the least of her worries as she headed home. Nobody had seen John since the device had been detonated and she wanted to check on Jeremy. Anna had died in the basement and he was going to be devastated; Elena just didn't see how her younger brother could survive more grief. However, she steeled herself to be strong and headed in the door. Jenna had also texted her to let her know that she had to see the fire chief about Grayson's building, which meant that Elena and Jeremy would now be home alone; perfect for the discussion they had to have.

"Jeremy? Are you up?" Elena called up the stairs to her brother, but got no answer. Her foot was on the bottom step to head up there when she heard a noise in the kitchen. Frowning, knowing that nobody else was supposed to be in, she headed cautiously towards it, ears straining for any sound but she heard nothing. Opening the door, she was horrified at the sight that met her: John had collapsed onto the floor clutching his hand, and was bleeding badly. Gasping, forgetting her resentment towards him for a moment, Elena rushed over to him, trying to step the gush of the blood everywhere, but it was no use; his fingers had been severed. Looking around desperately, she grabbed the phone and dialled 911.  
"Hi, I-I need an ambulance to 2104 Maple Street," She managed to tell the operator. But her eyes were on John, whose lips were moving. She leant a little closer to him.

"Behind you," He whispered.

"What?" Elena hadn't heard him properly, having been too distracted by the blood and panic.

"Behind you!" Elena span around but there was nobody there. Her stomach twisted; this could only mean one thing. A vampire was in the house and was hiding out of sight from her. Frowning, Elena looked around and spotted the bloody knife that was lying on the side, the tool obviously used to amputate John's fingers. She seized it and approached the hallway, terrified. But even as she reached it, she felt the violent whirlwind of air as whoever it was sped around her. Elena jumped, crying out, as the front door slammed behind the unwelcome visitor. She swallowed, trying to clear her mind, knowing that she had to be on her guard. But then she remembered…

"Jeremy!" She sprinted up the stairs as fast as she could, having flung the knife aside, and burst into his room. He was lying on his bed and appeared to be sleeping. Elena rushed over and shook him desperately, "Please, Jeremy! Wake up!" He stirred groggily, blinking up at her. Something wasn't right about him, but he was alive and safe. Elena breathed out, then rushed back downstairs as the doorbell rang. It would be the paramedics.

She let them in and then rushed back up to Jeremy. He still seemed a bit sleepy and she shook him by the shoulder, trying to get him to be more alert. As she did so, she spotted the empty pill bottle.  
"What did you do, Jer?" She asked him. He sighed.

"Anna gave me her blood," He explained simply, "So I drank it and took the pills…"

"Did you…?" She couldn't finish the question. The idea was too horrible.

"Die? I don't know, I don't know what dying feels like. I don't think so, though." Elena shook her hed.

"Wait here," She went downstairs to where the paramedics were tending to John, wrapping up his hand and giving him painkillers. The police had also arrived at this point, though Sheriff Forbes wasn't among them. Elena wasn't sure if that was a blessing or not, because the Sheriff knew about vampires.

"What happened?" An officer asked her.

"I don't know, I came home and found him like this," Elena told him honestly.

"It was… accident…" John gasped out, which seemed odd to Elena. Who was he protecting? Did Isobel do this, she wondered? But why would she? Elena pulled out her phone and sent a message to Stefan: _**Someone was in the house, attacked John. Jeremy tried to turn.  
**_ She had considered messaging Damon but she felt that Stefan's calmer, less murderous head would probably be clearer in this situation.  
Stefan arrived just as John was being put in the ambulance. The officer who had questioned Elena tried to stop him from entering the house, but Elena waved him off. Stefan followed Elena upstairs wordlessly, where she led him into Jeremy's room. Now that her initial panic was over, her concern had shifted onto her brother, whose life was far more important than John's fingers.

"What happened?" Stefan asked, looking at Jeremy, who was avoiding his gaze obstinately.

"He said that Anna gave him her blood and then he took these pills and now… I mean, he looks fine, but so do you, so I just… I don't know," Her voice had shaken a little at the end from the strain she was under. Jeremy becoming a vampire would be the icing on the world's most terrible cake in her eyes. Stefan took Jeremy's face in his hands and forced him to meet his eyes.

"I'm fine, okay? I feel exactly the same," Jeremy snapped, looking annoyed.

"Should I call a paramedic up here?" Elena asked, feeling useless, "What should I do?"

"No," Stefan replied, looking at Jeremy's eyes, "He's fine."

"You mean I'm not a vampire? Damn it!" Jeremy cursed. Elena shook her head at her brother, not understanding, but she didn't say anything. She wished she was in a position to question why Jeremy would want to become a vampire but if she was honest, she understood all too well why he'd want that. Jeremy was an unhappy kid who had lost too much. Being a vampire would make him strong and give him control over his life, even over his emotions. Elena had seen her father's building go up in flames and hadn't been able to think of anything but being a vampire. It was something about seeing people seemingly so indestructible, like Damon, come close to death, or in Anna's case actually die.  
"Did you hear what happened to Anna?" Jeremy asked, as if reading her mind.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Jer," Elena told him sincerely.

"Jer," Stefan said softly, "Look at me. I know that you don't want to hear this right now, but it's important that you understand that with every second that passes, Anna's blood is passing out of your system. If you try to kill yourself right now, you could actually die." Elena looked at Stefan then, her eyes wide. Jeremy looked away from him and Stefan grabbed him again, slapping him as if to wake him from a trance. "Hey! Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said reluctantly, "I understand."

"What about the pills?" Elena asked as Stefan stood up.

"He didn't take enough to die, so Anna's blood actually healed him," Stefan replied, and Elena breathed a sigh of relief. They had averted one disaster for now. A police officer knocked on the doorframe then, bringing their attention back to everything else that was going on.

"Miss Gilbert?" She nodded and indicated that she was coming out. Stefan looked at her.

"Elena, you need to be at the hospital. I'll stay here with Jeremy, okay?" Jeremy looked irritated.

"I don't need a babysitter!" He argued angrily.

"Yes," Elena said, fixing him with a slightly angry look, "You do."

When Elena finally reached the emergency ward of the hospital that Caroline had been taken to, the first thing she saw was Sheriff Forbes being comforted by Damon. He had fully recovered from his ordeal earlier on, as expected, though she hadn't expected him to come to the hospital at the news of the accident. Behind them stood Bonnie. Elena was not completely sure how she felt about Bonnie at that moment; one on the one hand, she had betrayed her trust and had almost had Damon and Stefan killed. On the other, she had protected Stefan from the flames so that he could go into the building and rescue his brother. Elena wanted to talk to her about Caroline but when she opened her mouth no words came out. Sheriff Forbes departed and Elena turned to Damon instead.

"How's Caroline?" She asked him. Something in his expression told her that it was bad news, which he confirmed immediately.

"She's weak," He answered in a subdued voice, "They don't know if she's going to make it." The two of them looked at each other for a long moment. Elena wanted to throw her arms around him, seek comfort from his strength, but with everything that currently stood between them she couldn't move. So, she swallowed the urge and turned to Bonnie.

"Isn't there, like… a spell or something?" Elena asked her friend hopefully.

"She doesn't know how. Do you?" Damon added, leering at Bonnie. Obviously he was still furious with her.

"No, I don't," Bonnie admitted, her face stony and strong but her voice wavering a little bit with the admission.

"No, you don't, because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that," Damon twisted the knife in a little bit further.

"I can take down a vampire," Bonnie retorted, "That spell was easy to learn." Elena sighed. Now did not seem to her to be the right time for these two to exchange insults, not with Caroline lying nearby, possibly dying. Her stomach wrenched painfully at the idea. Caroline wasn't perfect but she was still one of Elena's best and oldest friends. Elena couldn't imagine a world without Caroline Forbes.

"I can give Caroline some blood," Damon said, almost out of the blue. Elena looked around at him, shocked. The idea hadn't occurred to her somehow, even after what'd just happened with Jeremy.

"No," She gasped.

"Just enough to heal her," Damon explained quickly, "She'll be safe in here, in hospital, until she heals. It'll be out of her system in a day and she'll be better, Elena." Elena looked up at him, unsure. She knew all about the healing properties of vampire blood, but what if Caroline died with it in her system in spite of what Damon said? Then they'd have a newborn vampire on the loose and after what had happened with Vicki…

"It's too risky," Elena shook her head.

"Do it." Bonnie's voice took her completely by surprise and she span around to look at her. Bonnie had a very serious expression on her face. "This is Caroline. We can't let her die," Her gaze switched to Damon and she repeated herself once more: "Do it." Damon looked at Bonnie long and hard, but then he glanced back at Elena and he seemed to make his mind up. As Elena looked up at him, Bonnie walked away, leaving them alone. There was a loaded pause.

"So somebody- one of the tomb vampires, I guess- got into the house and almost killed John," Elena told him, deciding to choose a route of conversation that didn't involve their feelings for each other.

"After I left?" Damon asked quickly, and Elena frowned. He hadn't sounded shocked or horrified like she thought, he looked strangely calculating.

"When-? When were you at the house?" Elena questioned, frowning in confusion. Immediately, Damon's expression cleared and he looked like the last piece of a puzzle had finally fallen into place. He opened his mouth to explain but then Jenna showed up. She managed an awkward smile in Damon's direction before she grabbed Elena's arm.

"Elena, I came as soon as I got your message," She said, "How is John?"

"Where have you been?" Elena had been wondering that on her drive over to the hospital. Jenna was usually home at that time.

"At the fire department. I had to fill out a report…" Jenna said this all very slowly, as if Elena was missing something obvious, "I told you earlier."

"No, you didn't," Elena said. She heard Damon stamp his foot in exasperation and glanced over at him, frowning. He was also now looking at her as if she was missing something plainly obvious, though she didn't know what that was either. He sighed and walked off, and she knew that he was going to give Caroline his blood, as promised.

"I'm sorry, I know you must be having a tough night with everything that's going on. I heard about Caroline too. Why don't you head home? I'll go check on John," Jenna added kindly, about to head off to find him. But Elena grabbed her aunt's hand. She was about to tell her that she had found out John was really her father. She thought that given Jenna had tried to help her track down her mother before that she owed her this explanation, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. So, she just shook her head and Jenna gave her an understanding smile before departing.

* * *

Caroline looked very young in her hospital bed. She was hooked up to all manner of machines which were beeping and groaning all around her, but she remained unconscious and oblivious when Damon entered the room. It seemed that Tyler, like his father, had reacted to the device even though neither of them were vampires and it was because of that he had lost control of the car and they'd crashed. Tyler and Matt were both fine but Caroline was battling for her life. He wondered if she would make it through without his blood- but he couldn't stand the idea of seeing Elena having to grieve for her best friend. And so, he sank his teeth into his wrist, cutting it open, before pressing it to Caroline's lips. When the warm blood touched her skin she instinctively opened her mouth and his blood filled her until she managed to swallow. Once he'd deemed she'd had just enough to heal, he withdrew his wrist, which was already healing, and wiped the blood away from her mouth before he left.

Elena was gone by the time he was done but he sped to her car before she could leave without him. There was no way she was going anywhere alone with Katherine on the loose. It was obvious that the vampire had pretended to be Elena to get into her house and attack John. When she reached her car, he knew from her facial expression that she had finally figured out what was going on.

"Damon," She said his name anxiously, "If she can get in the house…"

"I know," He told her, taking her car keys from her and getting into the driver's side himself, "Come on." As he started the engine, he looked at her, "Elena, if Katherine wants you dead she will kill you, trust me. But she hasn't, which means she has other plans."

"What kind of other plans?" She asked weakly. Damon clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, thinking. He had long had suspicions that Katherine was involved somewhere along the line but he couldn't get all the different reasons he thought so to click into place in his mind. They needed to find out what Katherine wanted, and fast, but Katherine was dangerous and not easily crossed.

"Elena, I knew something was wrong when I was talking to you… well, her." He told her after thinking for a while, "She felt cold to the touch and she acted… I don't know. I didn't realise it was her but at the same time something was off… she tried to kiss me but I stopped it. When do I ever not let you kiss me?" He added with a bitter chuckle. Elena bit her lip.

"Cold to the touch?"

"Yeah," And he realised suddenly that he had never told her about this. "You're human so you always feel… warm to me. Vampires don't feel warm unless they've just fed, or drank a hot drink. Otherwise we feel cold, especially to each other." Elena didn't say anything but when he looked at her she was actually smiling slightly. He looked away quickly, feeling an emotion he very rarely ever felt: embarrassment. "I wish you wouldn't laugh," He told her.

"I'm not laughing at you," Elena laughed. He glared at her. "Oh, Damon, I'm sorry it's just… I didn't think those kinds of things would cross your mind. You know, how I felt to you…"

"Every sense is heightened as a vampire, Elena. Including touch." This quietened her for a minute and he knew that she was embarrassed too now. He smirked, glad to be back in territory he was more used to. But then he remembered they actually had serious matters to attend to and he stopped the car. They were around the corner from Elena's house so she gave him a strange look. "Before we go back to face whatever hell we might find at yours, I just needed to finish what I started to tell you earlier."

"What?"

"Before all of this, at the Grill, I tried to tell you that I didn't think I could do this. I didn't think I could talk about my feelings and I was going to let you down-" Elena made to open her mouth but he pressed a finger over her lips, "-But when I was watching the flames climb around me, watching Mayor Lockwood and Anna and the others die, I realised… I realised that what Isobel said _was_ true… and it's been true for longer than I thought. It's been true since before we opened that damn tomb and it's become more true with everyday: I'm in love with you, Elena Gilbert."

Damon wasn't sure how he finally found the words. He'd only known that since Stefan and Elena had saved him from that fire that it was absolutely vital that Elena knew how he felt, even if it all went to hell in the end. With Katherine back they couldn't waste any more time, either. Elena's eyes were swimming with tears again, which worried him for a minute, but then she started smiling and finally laughing.

"I love you too, Damon Salvatore," She told him, her voice a little hoarse as she tried not to cry again, though this time they were tears of happiness. They sat and grinned at each other like idiots for a minute, and Damon wanted nothing more than to kiss her and cement his words. But, he wanted that to happen in a more romantic setting than a car he had pulled over to the side of a street.

"Let's put this scene on pause, shall we?" He said, and she nodded, laughing, as they continued the drive to her house.


	42. Katherine

**Chapter Forty-Two: Katherine**

When Elena and Damon entered the house, they found Stefan getting up from the floor, where he'd evidently been knocked down.  
"What happened?" Elena asked immediately, rushing over to him.

"Katherine happened," Stefan met Damon's eyes over Elena's shoulder. Damon gave a small inclination of the head before Elena turned back to him. He looked at her, wishing he had kissed her in the car when he had the chance. He had no idea how he was going to tell his brother what had just transpired between them in between all the chaos around them all at that moment in time.

"What's going on?" Jeremy had come down the stairs. Damon surveyed the younger Gilbert closely. He had had an inkling that Jeremy was going to try and turn himself into a vampire earlier tonight but he didn't seem to have managed it. He realised Elena must be clued in because she had called Stefan over. She would never think of Damon as the best person to talk her brother out of wanting to be a vampire; Damon enjoyed being what he was. That knowledge left him feeling a little hollow, but he pushed that feeling aside for now.

"Um," Elena stammered, not wanting to tell him.

"Seriously, you're gonna keep more secrets? What's going on?" Jeremy repeated. Elena looked helplessly towards Damon but he shook his head at her.

"He should know," Stefan said, "Then he'll know what to look out for… or who." Jeremy was looking from Stefan to Elena to Damon with a confused expression on his face. Elena sighed, resigned to the fact that this was the best thing for Jeremy right now, even if it pained her to pile more stress onto her younger brother.

"Jer, what happened to John wasn't an accident. It was a vampire called Katherine," Elena began shakily.

"Katherine," Jeremy repeated the name.

"She can get into the house because she's been invited in," Stefan explained.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Jeremy wanted to know, looking ready. Damon took a step towards him.

"Oh you're not going to do anything, Jer, except for keep an eye out for her and staying the hell out of her path if you can," He informed the younger boy with authority. Elena shot him a grateful look for this, and he managed a small reassuring smile in return. Jeremy Gilbert was far too temperamental to be involved in this, even if he could help in any way.

"Fine," Jeremy snapped, obviously recognising when he wasn't going to win an argument, "If any random stranger wanders into the house I'll take off."

"Well, that's the thing, she won't seem like a random stranger. She looks exactly like Elena." At Damon's words, Jeremy's eyes widened a bit with surprise, obviously not quite understanding what was meant by that.

"When you say exactly…" He began, looking at his sister.

"Jer, I'm distantly related to Katherine through my real mother and for some reason, we don't know why… well, we're identical. Like twins." Jeremy gaped and looked to the Salvatore brothers for further information.

"You know Elena well so you might be able to spot the differences… Katherine is meaner, more selfish, and her manner is…" Stefan looked to Damon for help in explaining Katherine. Damon searched his memory, trying to pinpoint what exactly it was that made Katherine who she was. What exactly it was that had seemed off earlier on, that had alerted him that something wasn't quite right about Elena…

"She's more forward, with everything," Damon said finally, "She's flirtatious, and provocative, and she's not afraid to make demands." These were reasons he had been attracted to her all those reasons, things about her that he had loved. Jeremy nodded, though Damon knew it was probably in vain; he and Stefan may be able to spot the difference between Katherine and Elena from knowing them both, but something told me that Katherine's Elena impression was most likely spot on, meaning it would be almost impossible for Jeremy or anybody else to know the difference unless Katherine wanted him to.

"What are _you_ going to do about it?" Jeremy grudgingly reframed his earlier question.

"I don't know," Stefan admitted, "We need to find out what she's doing first."

"What did she say to you?" Elena wanted to know. Stefan shuffled his feet uncomfortably and glanced at Damon.

"She, uh, pretended to be you and tried to kiss me," Stefan admitted, looking at his brother again, obviously testing his reaction to this news. But he found that he didn't care; it might have been different if Stefan had fallen for the trick, because he would have thought he was kissing Elena, but clearly that was what had alerted him to Katherine's ruse. Thus, his main anger was at the fact Katherine was antagonising Elena and her family and not at her possible designs on his younger brother.

"John must know something," Elena said eventually, when nobody else spoke, "There has to be a reason that Katherine tried to kill him."

"Isobel was in touch with Katherine, as well as John…" Damon reasoned.

"We could go to the hospital and try and get John to talk." Elena said this ruthlessly, taking the other two by surprise, but not Damon. He was sure that Elena was close to feeling pure hatred for her biological father and he couldn't necessarily blame her after what he had done tonight. Damon personally would have left him to bleed to death, but Elena wasn't that sort of person.

"I think we should ignore her," Damon said.

"What?" Jeremy looked at him as if he was crazy.

"If we ignore her she'll make a move," He explained. Theatrics were essential to all of Katherine's schemes, but if nobody entertained her show then eventually she would get bored of not getting anywhere and come out into the open. She'd have no choice. And then…

"Then what?" Stefan asked the question.

"Stake her, rip her head off, whatever."

* * *

Elena wasn't sure how she or Jeremy would get to sleep that night, knowing that Katherine could enter the house at any moment, but they managed to put on a show of normality when Jenna got back. She lay in bed, wide awake, for what felt like years, but then she heard a light tapping on the window. Getting up, she crossed the room cautiously, opening the curtains to find Damon looking at her through the glass. Relieved, she opened the window and let him in, though she noticed he closed it behind himself very quickly.  
"That wouldn't keep her out," Elena whispered to him as he turned to face her.

"It'd give us time though," Damon replied.

"Do you think she…" But he placed a finger over her lips, hushing her.

"I'm trying to salvage the night here," He told her with a small smile, "Let's not talk about her anymore." Elena smiled a little back and he removed his finger.

"I sort of imagined that if you ever said it, there'd be a little more…" Elena hesitated, trying to think of the word, but Damon supplied her with it:

"Romance?" She nodded at this, "Yeah, me too. But maybe it's romantic in our own way- you know in a kind human girl dating an evil vampire kind of way?" Elena giggled at this, watching at his eyes as they sparkled with amusement. She loved seeing him like this; despite the subject matter, it was at these moments, when he was at his most tender, that he seemed most human to her.

"You're not evil," Elena told him, "Just… misunderstood." It was Damon's turn to laugh.

"Isn't that what they always say?" He asked, but then he reverted to the original matter at hand: "I came back to give you the romance you deserve Elena. Get dressed, I want to show you something." Elena looked at the clock; it was at the blackest hour of the night, but when she looked back at his face he looked so eager that she rolled her eyes and gave in, pulling on some clothes.

When she was finally ready, Damon reopened the window jumped out of it, landing easily on the ground way below, looking back up at her. Elena knew he was waiting for her but she felt sick at the idea of leaping out of the blue like that.  
"I'll catch you," He called up to her, just loud enough for her to hear without waking anybody else. Elena sighed, sliding onto the outside window ledge, trying not to look down. When she was sitting with her legs dangling over the side, she chanced a glance down towards Damon. He was egging her on still, looking amused at her fear. Sighing, Elena closed her eyes, clamped her mouth shut to try and prevent herself from screaming, and pushed herself off the window ledge, telling herself that it wasn't that far to fall, all things considered.

It was over in seconds, though Elena could hardly tell because Damon caught her in such a way that she barely felt the jolt of impact as she landed in his arms. It was only when he kissed her that she opened her eyes and found his inches away from her.  
"Told you it'd be fine," Damon smirked, before setting her on her feet.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked, but he didn't reply, instead just leading her to his car. They drove for a short while to the town square. Elena was glad that he took the way around that meant she didn't have to look at her father's burnt out building. Damon parked and sped round to open Elena's door. "I've seen the square before," Elena said sarcastically.

"Not like this," He insisted. He took her hand and led her over to the clock tower, "Ready?" He added, turning to her and putting his hands on her waist.

"For w- ahh!" Elena cried out as she suddenly found herself launched upwards. Damon had jumped whilst holding onto her, and his jump carried them up far, far higher than a human jump. Elena was aware of the stars becoming a little closer when they landed, mere seconds later, on the ledge of the clock tower, right before the clock face. Damon didn't let go of her, he just smiled.

"See?" He said. Elena looked out across the town. It was the early hours so there weren't many lights on in the houses, but she could see to the edge of town to where the woods began on each side of Mystic Falls. With the clear sky above them and the quiet of the night, it was breath-taking. Elena looked at Damon, who was watching her uncertainly.  
"Being with me is going to be hard on you, Elena. I'm a vampire, and blood and death follow vampires no matter how hard they run. History comes to bite the best of us on the ass but when you have a hundred and seventy-odd years of history, that's a hell of a bite."

"I know who we both are, Damon," Elena told him quietly, "You don't know how many times I tried to talk myself out of this because of those things… but it hasn't made any difference. Nothing has."

"I'm just saying that if you think it's smarter to just… cut this off now… I wouldn't blame you." His expression was incredibly serious then and Elena realised he was genuinely offering her a choice, a choice he did not take lightly at all. Elena thought about it for a minute, considering what she would say, but then she went with what was in her heart, just as he had back in the car when he'd told her how he felt about her for the first time.

"Damon, we've come too far… no, _I've_ come too far, to back out of this life now. _I_ helped you open that tomb, and it's _my_ uncle… father… whatever that _my_ evil doppelganger attacked today. I'm not going anywhere." Damon stared at her for a minute, soaking in what she was saying but then, finally, he kissed her. They had kissed many times by now, of course, but this was their first one as a real couple and Elena allowed herself to get wholeheartedly swept away by it. Damon was equally sweet and demanding, tender and aggressive, and she let him have whatever he asked for in that kiss. By the time they were done she was panting for breath and her knees felt weak; Damon was practically holding her up.

"That's how we do romance," Damon said, smirking proudly. Elena laughed and kissed him again, totally and completely happy in that moment for the first time she could remember.

Damon stayed with her the whole night and for that night, they totally forgot about Katherine. When Damon took her home again and they shut the window behind them, Elena felt more alive than she had ever felt before. They'd resumed kissing whilst standing and Damon had run his hands through her long brown hair until her head had fallen back. Then, he had begun his gentle assault on her neck and throat.

His kisses were light and almost teasing, and she enjoyed the feeling of his hands running up under her top. Her own hands went to work on his shirt buttons, taking her time to undo each individual one until his pale, toned chest was exposed. Damon smirked down at her as her hands ran across his abdomen, but then, quicker than she could blink he had moved her to the bed. Her clothes seemed to disappear very quickly after that and Damon's mouth and hands found every inch of her skin. His lips moved across her stomach, his hands wandered the smooth muscle of her legs, and then he was back to kissing her passionately. Soon, Elena could hardly breathe. His vampire face hadn't surfaced even once and for some reason that meant something. But then she didn't know anything else as her awareness of what was going on around her dimmed while her pleasure built.

* * *

"Damon?" He was awoken by her voice in his ear. He was smiling before he opened his eyes, but when he saw her smiling back at him he knew pure happiness for a blissful moment.

"Good morning," He said the greeting as he had many times before. Elena blushed this time though.

"I'm sorry to wake you," She told him shyly, "But it's morning…"

"And time for a reality check." Damon sat up, ruffling his hair. "What do you want to do?"

"I think… I still think we should speak to John. He _has_ to know something about Katherine's plans." Elena bit her lip, obviously worried at the prospect of having to confront him. Damon was still advocating the ignoring Katherine method, though.

"You should probably take Stefan with you," He told her, "He's more of a people person."

"I don't want a people person; I want somebody who will scare him into telling the truth," Elena admitted, taking Damon by surprise. He actually laughed a little.

"John Gilbert isn't afraid of me, Elena, and threatening him will shut up him. I saw that Jeremy had his ring." Damon watched her mull this over as he pulled his shirt on and began doing the buttons up. Elena watched him as if not really seeing him until finally she spoke again:

"I'd still like you to be the one to come with me," She said. Damon sighed; he supposed that this was part and parcel of being somebody's official boyfriend- supporting her even when he disagreed with what she wanted to do. And so, reluctantly, he went along to the hospital with her later that day. At least, he thought, it'd give him a chance to check that Caroline had recovered thanks to his blood.

When they entered John's room in the hospital his eyes were closed, but when Elena called his name he opened them. As soon as he saw her he flipped, grabbing for the button to call the nurse. Damon grabbed it before he could get it and moved it out of John's reach, leaving him looking terrified.  
"John, I'm Elena. Not- not Katherine," She told him, sounding a little shaky when she did so, "We know she did this to you. We just need to know why." John looked fearfully from Elena to Damon and back.

"Where is she?" He asked them weakly.

"We were going to ask you the same question," Damon responded, leaning over him menacingly. Even though he had been sure that John wasn't scared of him, he did so like to intimidate people who deserved it. John's mouth set into a line.

"I don't know," He answered, trying to sit up. Damon let him struggle for a minute before easily pushing him down, holding him into position with one hand.

"If you answer our questions I'll go easy on you," Damon promised, squeezing his shoulder hard on purpose to cause him to wince in pain. John met his gaze though, and Damon had to grudgingly admire the guy's bravery.

"I'm not going to exactly- trust the likes of- of you," He gasped through his obvious pain.

"You can't trust Elena?" Damon indicated her.

"Not if she's running around with monsters like you. She knows that. If I tell you anything you'll just kill me afterwards. For all we know you're working with Katherine." Damon laughed impatiently at this. The idea of him being in league with Katherine was ridiculous considering she had actively ignored and hidden from him for over a century. He let go of John's shoulder and took a few steps away from his bed. Elena, however, stepped closer and placed the Gilbert ring in John's hand. She'd had Damon steal it back from Jeremy that morning.

"John, you view the world with such hatred. That's what's going to get you killed. It already almost did," Elena indicated his hand. "If things were different maybe I wouldn't have minded having you as a father- somebody I've known my whole life. But instead I got lumbered with a dishonest, prejudiced bit of slime who won't even help me when my life might depend on it." She looked at him with one final look of disgust before leaving the room. Damon wondered whether she'd ever really expected him to answer their questions or whether she had just wanted a chance to insult him. Either way, he was left alone with John Gilbert.

"You should listen to her," Damon informed him, "Smart girl, your daughter. Everybody loves her. Ever noticed how _nobody_ loves you?" He was left with a dilemma now; what to do with John? One thing was for sure, and that was that they couldn't afford to have him sticking around causing trouble. He wanted to kill him; it seemed the easiest way of dealing with the problem. But somehow, despite the fact she hated him, he doubted Elena would be happy if he killed her birth father. And so, he did what he thought Stefan might do instead. For the second time in the space of a day, he ripped into his wrist before forcing it to John's mouth. John spluttered as he was forced to swallow Damon's blood.

"If you don't get out of town immediately, I will get you. And when I get you I will kill you. You might think it'll be over then but it won't, because you'll be a vampire. And then… oh yeah, _then_ …. I will kill you again." And Damon was gone from the room too.

The Mayor's memorial arrived with much fanfare. Damon thought it seemed more of an excuse for the snobbier members of the community to have a party, but he had to be there as a member of the Founders Council. Truth be told, he was still completely mystified as to why the Gilbert device had affected the Lockwood males. He had seen enough of Tyler to know he was no vampire but there was no doubt that he was strong- and bad tempered, just like his father before him. He was mulling this over as a young guy with sandy hair and bright blue eyes approached Carol Lockwood, greeting her and becoming instantly engrossed in conversation. Damon turned to the Sheriff, who was standing at the edge of procedings beside him, looking equally disillusioned.

"Who's the guy with Carol?" He asked her.

"The Mayor's younger brother, Mason Lockwood." Another Lockwood male, Damon mused.

"Is he on the council? Like John Gilbert was when he rolled in?" A newcomer Lockwood would be an interesting specimen to keep an eye on.

"He's nothing like John," Liz replied, smiling, "For one, he's not an ass. He's not a believer either and he wants nothing to do with the council. He's too preoccupied finding the perfect wave." Damon nodded. Mason seemed personable enough, that he had to admit. He thanked Liz and she departed, watching Mason as he greeted people until Bonnie approached him. He still wasn't happy with the Bennett witch for her betrayal and while Elena wasn't around to make him feel bad he planned to take full advantage of his wit to dig the knife in a little further.

"Did you know the Gilbert device affected Tyler Lockwood?" She asked Damon, when he didn't acknowledge her presence beside him.

"I'd heard," He replied shortly.

"Don't you want to know why?" Damon finally looked around at her.

"Yes Bonnie, I'd love to know why a non-vampire was tortured by the vampire torture device that you let John Gilbert use against us," He was satisfied to see the affront on Bonnie's face at this, "Speaking of your guilt, how is Caroline?"

"She's much better," Bonnie told him flatly.

"You're welcome," He smirked.

"No, _you're_ welcome," Bonnie corrected, "You live to see the other day." It was true that she had enabled Stefan to save him but, in Damon's opinion, she was largely responsible for him having even been in that building in the first place. He wasn't quite ready to let that go just yet.

"No good deed goes unpunished with you, does it?" Damon asked tiredly.

"It doesn't undo the bad, Damon. Don't forget, I know what you are and even though you might have Elena and the Sheriff and everyone else fooled, you haven't fooled me at all." Damon rolled his eyes, not taking her seriously. He turned back away from her, looking out through the crowd. He saw a long mane of brown hair out on the front porch and was about to head towards it, but then he remembered their current problem and looked around himself first; Elena was picking up Jenna and Jeremy to come to the Lockwood's. Unable to spot them, Damon was immediately distracted by a sudden, head-splitting pain. He gasped out and it vanished. He looked angrily at Bonnie.

"What the hell was that for?" He demanded.

"Just a little reminder for what'll happen if you make one wrong move," She answered lightly, then turned to head towards who she thought was Elena. Damon grabbed her arm and it was her turn to demand what he was doing.

"That's," He nodded towards the porch, "Katherine." He mouthed the last part, not wanting her to overhear him. Bonnie looked alarmed for a second but nodded her understanding as he let go of her. Katherine looked over at them at that moment and smiled sweetly, waving. Damon gritted his teeth; what was she playing at? If Elena walked in then everybody would realise that something was going on. So, he seized Bonnie by the hand and dragged her into a different room instead, knowing that it would lure Katherine after them. It worked. By the time they turned around, Katherine was closing the door behind herself.

"I should have known you were too clever to fool, Damon," Katherine told him, "I need to work on my Elena impression."

"What are you doing here?" He snapped. She just smiled and looked at Bonnie.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Katherine," She said.

"I know who you are." Bonnie gave her a look of total disdain. Katherine merely laughed.

"Of course you do. You're the best friend, right? I've been putting together all the pieces of Elena's life- Isobel told me it was quite a puzzle," She smirked at them slyly, "I do know who Jenna and Jeremy are, and I met that delicious ex-boyfriend, Matt, who's sweet on Caroline. And then there's you- the vampire-hating Bennett witch." She switched her gaze to Damon, " _We_ already know each other very well, of course. I wonder if you'll get the girl this time or whether she'll choose Stefan, just like I always did." Damon's nerves were already stretched to breaking point but this was too much; he felt what was left of his control shatter as he lost his temper with Katherine at that. He flew at her across the room, wanting to rip her head off and not giving a damn who caught him. But Katherine was stronger than him. She had him in a chokehold before he could inflict so much as a scratch, and Damon couldn't break her grip. Katherine laughed before she let him go. Damon rubbed his neck, glaring.

"So Bonnie," she said, addressing the witch again, "Did I do good?" Bonnie gave her a cold look and made to leave the room, but Katherine moved fast, blocking her path. Damon took a step forward but Bonnie threw out her hand, an expression of concentration on her face. Katherine grabbed her head in agony, but Damon knew she was faking. Katherine was over five hundred years old- Bonnie wasn't strong enough to really hurt her. In a flash, he'd grabbed her by the arms, holding her, but Katherine threw him off, aiming for Bonnie. But Bonnie opened the doors magically, exposing them to the room of people beyond. Katherine's face, which had been in its vampire form, shifted back to normal immediately. "Nice," She muttered. Stefan was standing there, arms folded.

* * *

"She said she came back for me," Stefan told Elena as she pulled an iron rod from his bare stomach. He had walked with Katherine to maintain her impersonation of Elena. "I told her I hate her."

"Do you?" Elena looked at his face. She'd never really asked Stefan what his feelings for Katherine were nowadays; he had made it clear that he didn't think his feelings for her had ever been real, but seeing her face to face might have changed things for him for all she knew. She was yet to meet Katherine but given that they shared a face it might be easier for Stefan to transfer his feelings for her to her vampire doppelganger.

"Elena, she ruined everything. She turned me into a vampire, she turned me and my brother against each other- everything that's ever happened to me, everything bad, is her fault." Stefan said this with some anguish and Elena felt her heart go out to him. Stefan wasn't usually that vocal about his feelings, preferring to keep them buried and retain his air of strength.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," Elena said softly, but then Damon appeared.

"I tried to track her but she's gone," He told them, "Woah, cover up, Fabio." Stefan pulled his shirt down to cover his very muscular abs. He also gave Elena a shifty look, which Elena interpreted as jealousy. This made her smile in spite of herself.

"Katherine is going to try and play us against each other, you know that?" Stefan told his brother.

"Of course, that's her speciality," Damon agreed, and both brothers looked at her. Elena thought she knew why- that Katherine would use her to get between them again, and she felt uncomfortable.

"We can't let her destroy everything again, Damon. That means we have to stay united, no matter how much we wanna kill each other. Got it?" Stefan took his leave then, smiling at Elena as he went. Damon looked at Elena and she sighed as he came over to her, wrapping her in his arms.

"We'll get rid of her somehow, don't worry," He promised.

* * *

 **A/N: So a lot happened in this chapter! It was a long one! You got a little wink wink nudge nudge in there too ;) hehe thanks for reading, let me know what you think by dropping me a review please!**


	43. What Became of Caroline

**Chapter Forty-Three: What Became of Caroline  
**

Night fell and as it did so, Damon poured himself a drink. Elena had to go to school in the morning, a fact that seemed bizarre considering the kind of things going on in her life, but he thought that it was probably a good idea for her to get an early night for once. So, he was alone, though, he mused, not for very long.  
"Very brave of you to come here," A human wouldn't have been able to pick up on the sound of Katherine's breathing, but he could. He turned around and Katherine was sitting on the couch, smirking at him.

"I came to say goodbye," She informed him.

"Leaving so soon?" Not so long ago, his entire existence had been dedicated to getting her out of a tomb so that he could be with her forever. Now all he felt when he looked at her was hatred. She had hurt him deeply and irreparably. Damon knew that he would never forgive her, and that she didn't deserve his forgiveness anyway.

"I know where I'm not wanted," Katherine stated, and Damon realised that she was thinking of Stefan. He was glad that his brother was as over Katherine as he was, because he'd never be able to forgive Stefan if he'd somehow taken Katherine back after everything they'd been through because of her.

"Don't pout. It's not attractive on a woman your age." The petty insults helped him blow off a tiny bit of the steam that was building, but not as much as staking her and watching her shrivel up might.

"Ouch," Katherine scoffed. Damon drowned his drink, wanting nothing more than for her to be gone. He knew he couldn't fight her alone though, so he chose instead to just walk away himself. Before he got very far though, Katherine was in front of him.

"What? No goodbye kiss?" She asked. It was strange how she shared every feature with Elena, down to the big brown eyes, and yet everything was so different. She wore her hair in curls, carried herself like she ruled the world, and the big brown eyes were cold and calculating- nothing like the warmth Elena's held.

"Why don't I kill you instead?" Damon snapped, "What are you doing here?"

"Nostalgia, curiosity, et cetera…"

"I'm better at the enigmatic one-liners, Katherine. What do you want?" If she wouldn't go away she could at least answer his question.

"Trust me Damon, when I'm up to something you'll know about it. Come on, kiss me. Or kill me. Which will it be, Damon? We both know you're only capable of one." She still believed him to be vulnerable to her seduction. She knew, then, all too well, that he had remained infatuated with her over the years. Katherine was advancing towards him and Damon wasn't moving. He wasn't going to kiss her. He wasn't. He didn't _want_ to. Katherine's breath was on his lips when he finally turned away from her. This, he decided, definitely wasn't what he wanted.

"Hey," He said, when she sped in front of him again, blocking his path, "You can go and try Stefan again if you want to, see if he'll give in for old time's sake. It'd be less of a waste of your time than you trying this with me."

"Ah," Katherine smirked up at him, "So you already _got_ the girl. Didn't you? Hm… have you told your brother yet?" This was what they had been prepared for; Katherine playing him off against his brother. As a matter of fact, he and Elena hadn't told anybody that they were officially together yet, having been quite distracted by everything else that was going on. But he didn't think that Stefan would be surprised; his brother had been referring to them as a couple for quite some time already.

"Katherine, nothing you have to say to me now can hurt me. See, I already know that you never loved me. You loved Stefan, but he never really loved you so you forced him to love you. He's smart, my brother, because he didn't fall for you. I was the fool. But you know what? A lot has changed in the past one hundred and forty five years. I'm not that kid who you could string along anymore. So you can try to do whatever it is you're trying to do- turn me and my brother against each other, use Elena to try and spark off an old rivalry- go ahead. It's not going to work because you know what? We did that dance for the century and a half that you were gone, and we're over it now."

Damon headed instead to the Grill. He hadn't hit the place up in a while and he had decided that after his encounter with Katherine he really needed a drink. When he arrived there, he was pleased to see Alaric already at the bar, staring into his bourbon. Damon called for his own glass and Alaric acknowledged him with a nod.  
"So, you heard Katherine's back?" Damon asked him as he downed his glass in one and called the bartender back over.

"How is that for you?" Rick questioned. Damon pulled a face. "Yeah I can imagine. Your girlfriend's evil twin, also your ex, rolls up to town and causes trouble."

"I hate her," Damon said in a very low voice. "I really hate the bitch."

* * *

Elena found Jeremy sat at the kitchen island in the morning, an unusual sight. Usually he got up at the very last minute possible before heading to school, and lately he'd been avoiding her too. But this time he actually managed half a smile at her when she entered the room.  
"Hey," She greeted him softly.

"I just thought I'd tell you," Jeremy began, "John left town."

"Oh?" Elena stopped on her way to the fridge to look over at her brother. She knew that he had gotten kind of close to John during his time there, which was more than she could say for herself.

"He told me to tell you he's sorry and that he hates vampires because… well, because he always has." Elena gave him a look before continuing to the fridge, taking out the orange juice. She wasn't interested in John's apologies or excuses; they didn't make up for what he had done. What if he _had_ killed Damon? Had he expected her to ever forgive him for it?

"Is that it?" She asked.

"Yeah. Well, that and… he gave me his ring," Jeremy held up his hand, and there it was: the Gilbert ring, "He said it'll…"

"Keep you alive if you die. Yeah." Elena said, "Alaric has a similar one."

"It only works if the death is supernatural though. That's why it didn't… you know… save Dad." Jeremy looked sad when he said that, and Elena thawed a little, crossing over to her brother to put her hand on his shoulder. For once he accepted the comfort instead of pushing her away. "Anyway, I figured because you're John's daughter, you should have it." Jeremy made to remove the ring but Elena stopped him. Despite her disdain for John, she was touched that he had offered her brother this protection. It was the only thing she had ever known John to do that wasn't totally selfish and besides, if Jeremy had to know about vampires, at least he could be protected from them.

"Keep it, Jer," Elena told him firmly, "I don't need it."

"You hang out with vampires," Jeremy laughed. Elena smiled.

"Yeah, I do. But those vampires are my friends. I'm safe."

It was only when Elena reached school that she remembered about the Carnival coming up. The high school carnival had always been fun in the past and she supposed that after all that had gone on, she could probably do with some fun. She came across Bonnie, who was busy helping to make arrangements.  
"So you met Katherine," Elena said. The atmosphere between herself and her best friend had been a little awkward since the night of the fire, but Elena's anger was abating now. Bonnie had saved Damon in the end, not to mention the fact that she had sided with him on healing Caroline. They were expecting the blonde to be discharged any day now, having made a fast and miraculous recovery from her accident.

"Yeah," Bonnie replied, "She looked exactly like you- it was freaky." Elena hadn't managed to catch an actual glimpse of her doppelganger yet, having been steered away from direct confrontation at the Lockwood mansion by Stefan.

"She is my ancestor," Elena pointed out anyway.

"Your vampire ancestor," Bonnie corrected, "And she didn't just resemble you like you like a family member would- she _was_ you."

"I don't know, it's creepy- that's all I've got." In truth, Elena thought there had to be more to it too- she just didn't know what. Judging by everyone's descriptions and the one picture that she had seen of Katherine from 1864, she and Katherine were as alike as identical twins, just born centuries apart. Knowing the state of her life, Elena thought there was likely some kind of supernatural explanation for the resemblance, but she wasn't sure how much she actually wanted to know. If there were any more magic or supernatural elements to her life she may as well become a vampire just to seal the deal.

"Bon, do you mind if we skip the whole, malicious vampire doppelganger stuff today? I'm human and if I don't do human things I'm going to go crazy."

Elena managed to pass the rest of the day successfully with no further discussion about the supernatural. Bonnie seemed grateful for the reprieve too and they ingratiated themselves into the preparation for the carnival that evening all day, determined to make Caroline proud. Damon texted Elena once during the day, mentioning something about the Lockwood's but Elena decided not to probe that mystery until later; she was enjoying her humanity for the moment. When it was dark and the carnival was under way, Elena walked around enjoying the festivities with everybody else. She came across Damon himself, watching Tyler in an arm wrestling competition in a classroom.

"Why are you lurking?" She asked him, resting her chin on his shoulder from behind. Damon smirked.

"I'm just observing," He insisted.

"More like obsessing," Stefan said from his brothers other side, looking agitated. Elena wondered if they would ever learn to get on for longer than a few minutes at a time. They watched Tyler win the competition easily.

"He's got strength," Damon commented.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" Elena wanted to know. Damon carried on watching Tyler, but Stefan gave a sarcastic grin.

"He thinks the Lockwood's have a supernatural family secret," Stefan replied with an eye roll. Elena wanted to laugh but she caught Damon's expression as he looked round at her and for a moment he looked deadly serious- he'd obviously been given some reason to think this.

"Well, he's a triple letter varsity athlete," Elena said carefully, "He's not gonna be weak." Mason, Tyler's uncle, offered himself up against his nephew and Damon shifted, obviously interested. Mason easily beat Tyler, to much applause from the gathering spectators. Tyler grinned around.

"Okay, he's the champ," He called, "Who wants to go next?"

"Stefan wants to go!" Damon answered, giving his brother a bit of a push. Elena frowned. Stefan, as a vampire, was stronger than any human without needing to try. Stefan seemed to decide to humour Damon, however, perhaps out of his own curiosity as to whether Damon really was onto something. Stefan agreed and joined Mason. Elena watched as they locked hands. For a minute nothing happened, though she could see that both were trying, putting a lot of pressure into the fight. Stefan lost in the end, and Elena exchanged a look with Damon; maybe she _had_ been wrong.

"You didn't put any effort in at all," Damon accused him immediately. Stefan grimaced.

"Actually, I did," He admitted. Damon stood up and seized both his brother and Elena, dragging them both out into the hallway. Once had made sure that they weren't being overheard, he turned to Stefan.

"Is he…?" Damon asked with a significant look.

"No, no. It wasn't that kind of strength," Stefan replied quickly, "But it was more than human if that makes any sense." Elena glanced from one brother to another, suddenly worried. What was going on? If even Stefan thought that there was something more to the Lockwood's then it wasn't just Damon's paranoia- there might actually be something else.

"What are they?" Damon said, seeming frustrated.

"Um, uh, I don't know, ninja turtles?" Stefan suggested, getting an angry look from his elder brother. Elena's mouth twitched but Damon clearly wasn't pleased by the joke, "Or zombies? Werewolves?" Stefan teased. Damon gritted his teeth and looked around, Elena assumed to make sure they weren't being overheard. The only other person around was a guy repairing something down the hallway. Damon took a step towards the guy then hesitated and glanced back at Elena, but then continued onwards.

"Hey, you!" He called. The guy looked around.

"I have a name," The guy complained. Elena frowned, looking at Stefan questioningly but Stefan was watching Damon.

"Yeah, I don't care," Damon said, catching the guy by the shoulders. He focused his gaze on him and Elena suddenly knew what it looked like when somebody was being compelled- it was almost like hypnotism, with the guy unable to tear his eyes away from Damon. "I need you to pick a fight with someone, a kid named Tyler Lockwood."

"What?" Elena cried out. Tyler had a bad temper, everybody knew that.

"Damon, don't do this!" Stefan protested. Damon gestured at the guy to leave, which he did, but then he turned back to Elena and Stefan.

"Somebody is going to get hurt," Elena told him coldly. Damon looked at her and she saw that he was torn.

"No, somebody is going to get angry," He said finally, "Look, I overheard him and the uncle talking earlier today about blacking out from rage and becoming somebody else… I'll stop it if it gets out of control, okay? I just want to get to the bottom of this."

"Why?" Elena asked. Damon looked at her strangely, opening his mouth to answer but then closing it. He shrugged and made a half-mumbled excuse before wandering away. Elena frowned after him, annoyed and confused. She sighed and turned to Stefan. "Tyler never walks away from a fight," She told him.

"I don't know what he thinks this will accomplish," Stefan agreed, leading the way outside. Elena followed, lost in thought for a while. Stefan stopped her just outside the building and when she focused on him she realised that he was half-smiling. "So, are you going to tell me the good news?"

"What?" She asked blankly.

"Elena, I figured it out. You and Damon are together." She stared up at him, at a loss for how she should respond. She had planned to speak to Stefan about this in her own way, break the subject sensitively and with tact; she hadn't expected him to just come out with it himself. But then she'd just been leaning all over Damon quite openly without even sparing Stefan a single thought. She suddenly felt a little guilty, but Stefan seemed to know what she was thinking: "Look, it's okay, Elena. I want you to be happy even if… it's not going to be with me."

"Stefan, I know he's your brother-"

"And who do I know better than my own brother?" Stefan smiled, "It's fine. I'll get over it, I promise." She managed a smile back, relieved that this conversation had gone better than she could have planned, though she was sure it was not the end of the discussion.

* * *

Damon was walking a hallway, his thoughts going at a thousand miles per hour. He knew he was onto something with the Lockwood's, he just didn't know exactly what he'd stumbled upon. What he had overheard between Tyler and Mason earlier on had been strange, and given Stefan's confirmation that there was something inhuman about Mason's strength, he needed to find the answer. But why? He realised that Elena's question was an important one. Why did it matter to him?

Something made his enhanced senses twitch and he stopped still, turning around. Caroline was behind him at the other end of the corridor.  
"Hey Blondie," He greeted her, "They let you out?"

"I remember." Damon felt himself freeze up for a second.

"What do you remember?" He asked.

"You manipulated me, you pushed me around, abused me, erased my memories, fed on me," Caroline listed. Damon felt his mouth go dry. He had encountered his compulsion breaking before only in two circumstances; one was the strange incidence of the shock of the accident causing Elena's own will to break through his compulsion. The other was…

"You're crazy," She wasn't. He knew what was going on.

"Memories are coming back in pieces," Caroline informed him. Damon remembered that- how little things that Katherine had made him forget, made him do, fell away when he was transitioning bit by bit until he remembered everything with clarity.

"You can't remember," He didn't know what the point of arguing was. He just wanted to know how this had happened; his blood had been in her system but she had been safe in the hospital without incident. "Not unless you're becoming a…"

"I have a message from Katherine," Caroline smiled, "She said 'game on'." Damon started towards her as she turned to leave.

"Wait-" He caught her by the hand but she surprised him in the act of throwing him backwards. Painfully, he hit the lockers and slid to the floor, grunting. He frowned towards Caroline, who laughed at his misfortune.

"You suck," She told him before walking away. Damon got back to his feet, looking around to check that nobody had seen what'd just happened. Caroline Forbes as a vampire was bound to be bad news. Caroline did not show it in the most obvious way but she was a very sensitive and insecure girl who feared rejection. She lashed out meanly at others who she felt threatened by, including her friends… this could be bad, very bad. Not just for Caroline but for everybody else; Damon was not sure that she had it in her to survive as a vampire, especially not in Mystic Falls, the town on constant lookout for them.

He had forgotten all about his earlier experiment to pick a fight with Tyler Lockwood. What was important then was that he find Elena and tell her what had happened to Caroline. He sighed and switched his senses to tracking Elena. It didn't take him long to find her outside in among the carnival crowd, talking to a girl. She looked at him with irritation and he knew she was still angry about him setting that guy on Tyler.  
"I need you to come with me," He told her sharply.

"Damon…" Her gaze flickered to the girl she was speaking to. He sighed and grabbed the girl by the shoulders, compelling her.

"Leave us." The girl blinked and departed without question, leaving an affronted looking Elena alone with him. Damon knew he would have to explain himself to her at some point but now was decidedly not the right time for that. Elena folded her arms expectantly.

"Elena, it's Caroline," Damon said, "She's a vampire." Elena's expression didn't change immediately, not registering what he had just told her.

"She's- what?" She stammered.

"She's a vampire. She threw me down a corridor, Elena, and she's remembering stuff I made her forget. She also had a message from Katherine…" He explained the incident in the hallway in full. When he was finished, Elena looked very troubled. She looked around them worriedly.

"We need to find Stefan." Damon knew what she was thinking as they set about looking for his brother; Stefan had tried to help Vicki, and he was something like a master of self-control, not feeding on human blood. Obviously Elena was thinking he could teach Caroline to be the same, but Damon knew that it was not going to be easy to convince a newly turned vampire not to drink human blood.  
They found Stefan breaking up the fight that Damon had engineered between the guy from the hallway and Tyler. He heard the name 'Carter' being mentioned and realised that was his name, not that it mattered.

"Why did I do that?" Carter was asking Stefan, sounding confused, while Damon saw Mason leading Tyler away. But now was not the time for that mystery, either.

"You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Stefan told him, then spotted Damon and Elena approaching. He frowned, obviously sensing something serious was going on when he saw the expression on their faces. Wordlessly, the three of them went inside and found an empty classroom where they wouldn't be overheard. Once again, Damon recounted the confrontation with Caroline.

"How did this happen?" Stefan wanted to know.

"Well I gave her blood and Katherine obviously killed her and A plus B equals…"

"But why?" Elena looked between the two brothers as if hoping the answer would be written across their foreheads. Damon knew there was no simple answer to that question because they still didn't know what exact game Katherine was playing. Damon reached out to Elena, placing his hand on her arm in an effort to try and comfort her.

"Because Katherine is a manipulative, nasty little slut," Damon replied. He was surprised when Elena actually laughed a little bit. He smiled a little at the sight. But Stefan wasn't even slightly amused.

"Why Caroline?" He asked.

"I don't know," Damon answered, glancing at Elena, "She's connected to us, isn't she? Katherine obviously thinks that this is what will hurt us all the most."

"And she could be right," Stefan pointed out, "Caroline must be beside herself. She doesn't even know what's happening to her."

"If the compulsion is wearing off then she does," Elena said miserably, "She knew everything that was going on before, I used to talk to her about it all until Damon compelled her to forget everything."

"It was safer for her to not know. She could be a liability," Damon pointed out, but Elena's expression hardened at his words and she stepped away from him, letting his arm fall to his side uselessly.

"It _is_ safer for her to not know- safer for _her_. Or it was." Damon opened his mouth to explain, to tell Elena that he had done it to protect Caroline too, knowing how much it would devastate Elena if something happened to her best friend because she knew about vampires. It had always been a possibility- he just hadn't seen this coming. He could never have pictured Caroline as a vampire.

"We need to find her," Stefan said however, interrupting him before he could speak.

"And do what?" Damon knew what the smart option was, the one that would involve the least amount of trouble and the lowest body count they could hope for: killing Caroline. However, he knew that Stefan and Elena would never allow him to do it. Even if he did, Elena would hate him and he couldn't live with himself if she hated him. Elena seemed to know what he was thinking though.

"She isn't going to be another Vicki," She said quietly but firmly, "She isn't going to end up dead because we couldn't deal with her. We just… we need to get her under control, that's all. She can learn to be safe to not… not hurt anybody." Her gaze went to Stefan, who gave a small nod of his head, on board with the plan just as Damon knew he would be. He huffed out a breath, knowing they had him beaten on this. It might be foolish but he couldn't sacrifice everything for the sake of killing Caroline Forbes.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry for taking a few days to update, I've had loads to do and in between I've been so tired! I hope you like this chapter! Please leave me a review letting me know what you think!**


	44. Baggage

**Chapter Forty-Four: Baggage**

"How are we going to find her?" Elena asked. They had decided to split up. Damon had tried to insist that she went with Stefan, afraid of what Caroline might do if she encountered Elena with Damon, but Elena had refused, insisting on staying with him. Damon was certain she wasn't convinced that he wouldn't stake Caroline if she didn't keep a close eye on him. He thought she probably had good reason to believe that, too. They scoured the carnival, asking everybody whether they had seen Caroline but only got a few vague answers. Matt said she had stormed off a while ago and he didn't know what was wrong with her. Damon knew that this worried Elena because she began to search even harder. However, as they were about to restart their circle around the carnival, something in the air made Damon stop.

"Elena," He said, sniffing the air, turning his head toward the direction of the scent, "I smell blood." Elena's face was a picture. He took her hand and pulled her close to him, heading in the direction of the smell. In the parking lot, with the carnival still in sight in the background, they found Caroline bawling her eyes out. Beside her was the body of Carter, the guy Damon had compelled to get into a fight with Tyler. Caroline looked up at the sound of their approach and Damon saw that her mouth was dripping with blood. Elena stopped beside him, going stiff at the sight.

"He's dead," Caroline said helplessly, "I killed him. What's wrong with me?" The last part came out as uncontained sobs. Damon felt pity twist his stomach, not an emotion he was very familiar with, but he knew that this was not Caroline's fault. She may be annoying but she didn't deserve this. He looked at Elena but she wasn't moving or saying anything, apparently in shock, but he knew what she'd want him to do.

"Hey," He said, approaching Caroline, "Hey, it's okay. I can help you." She looked up at him uncertainly.

"You can?"

"I have to," He answered. Caroline swallowed, looking scared. He remembered feeling that way the first time he fed. Usually, when vampires first started out, they had no control over their feeding so they'd kill whoever they fed from, draining their bodies just as Caroline had done to Carter moments before. Damon had been no different. It had taken him many years to learn to control it, to know when to stop… some people, like Stefan, never learnt.

"What are you gonna do?" Caroline asked him, looking very young and vulnerable even under the blood all over her face. He thought he should kill her by putting her out of her misery, but one look back at Elena told him that her position hadn't changed on that matter. Her eyes were tearing up as she gazed at Caroline. "Are you… gonna kill me?"

"No," Damon answered, "I'm not gonna kill you,"

"I don't wanna die!" Caroline gasped.

"You're already dead," He told her gently. This seemed to be the wrong thing to say because she only looked even more freaked out as a result. He remembered that feeling too- feeling alive, so alive, more than he ever had, yet knowing that technically he was dead.

"Don't say that!" She begged, "Just help me, please!" Elena seemed to have recovered a little more because she came towards them, not looking at the body, embracing Caroline. Caroline hugged her back but her eyes were on Damon.

"We're gonna help you," He told her finally, "We're gonna teach you how to… how to feed without hurting anybody, how to live a normal life, how to… control everything." Elena let go of Caroline and looked around at him, her expression unreadable, though he interpreted it as a positive look she gave him. Caroline was frowning at Elena.

"Why did Katherine look like you?" She asked her, "I… I thought I was talking to you and then… then she killed me. Why? Why did she do this to me?" New tears began to run down her cheeks, but Stefan was approaching then. Damon was glad- he wasn't good at comforting people.

"Hey, let's get you inside," Stefan said gently, taking Caroline by the arm and gently leading her away. Damon watched, feeling torn. He met Elena's gaze.

"She might end up dead anyway," He said.

"Not tonight, Damon." Elena replied firmly. He nodded, agreeing to those terms at the very least. He would have to get rid of the body before anybody saw anything. He was about to begin doing so when Bonnie approached. Her eyes were on Carter's body.

"What's going on?" The witch asked, her gaze switching to Damon, "Did you…?"

"Do this _look_ like my work?" He demanded, agitated. He was better at covering his tracks than this, especially when it was necessary for him, nowadays. Besides, he had only been feeding from blood bags recently which meant that they knew exactly when an uninvited guest was in town.

"Bonnie, it's Caroline," Elena told her sadly. Bonnie's eyes widened.

"What? No… no she can't be…"

"Katherine killed her with my blood in her system," Damon explained, "Nothing we can do now."

"No…" Bonnie ran after Stefan and Caroline then, obviously hell bent on checking they weren't lying for some reason.

"I should go after her," Elena sighed, "Bonnie isn't…"

"Good with vampires? You got it. I've got a body to bury anyway." Another one.

Elena returned home a few hours later, totally drained. Bonnie was furious with all of them for allowing this to happen to Caroline, though Elena had tried to point out that it was nobody's fault but Katherine's. Bonnie made it clear she blamed Damon and seeing the state of her friends temper, Elena was glad Damon hadn't been around for that conversation. Stefan was determined that he would help Caroline through things, and Elena only hoped that he was right, that it could be done. He'd also explained that Caroline's emotions were amplified as a vampire, especially as someone who'd only just transitioned.

She crawled into bed alone. Damon hadn't returned from burying Carter's body and Stefan was off keeping an eye on Caroline to ensure she didn't hurt anybody else. Elena could tell that Caroline felt awful about killing Carter and her heart went out to her friend.

She was woken a few hours later by the motion of Damon climbing into bed beside her. She opened her eyes and he smiled at her, but she could tell something was bothering him by the frown line creasing his forehead.  
"What's happened?" She mumbled, still half asleep.

"Nothing, just go back to sleep," He whispered soothingly.

"Is it Caroline? Did she hurt someone?" Damon pulled her so that her head was resting on his chest, her nose buried in his neck, and put his arms around her.

"No. I was just thinking about the Lockwood's again. I'll explain tomorrow. Go back to sleep." His lips brushed her hair but she was hardly aware of it as she did as he asked, slipping off into sleep again. Her dreams were murky and dark at first but she was a little aware of Damon unclasping the chain around her neck. The next thing she knew, her dreams became softer around the edges and peaceful, and she knew that he was helping her again.

Morning arrived and it took a few minutes for Elena to remember why she felt so miserable and worried. Damon's eyes opened the moment she moved an inch and he smoothed her hair back from her face, his thumb moving to graze her bottom lip.  
"So how do you feel about taking a trip to Duke?" It took Elena a second to understand what he was talking about.

"The college?" She asked.

"Yep. I'm going to get Rick to show us into Isobel's office so we can raid her research to figure out what's up with the Lockwood's," He informed her. Elena raised her eyebrows, surprised.

"Really? With all of this going on?" He didn't have to ask what she meant by 'all of this'.

"Caroline can't go out in the sun and besides, would you rather sit around and worry about something that isn't going to change or get out there and do something about something we can actually do something _about_?" Since Stefan's arm wrestle with Mason Lockwood she had been quite curious about the Lockwood's herself. If witches and vampires existed then she supposed there was probably a whole supernatural world out there. If anybody was entitled to rummage through Isobel's office, it was Elena. She couldn't abide with who her mother was as a vampire but maybe she would find out something about who she was as a human there.

"You do make a good point," She admitted, getting out of bed and stretching.

"I'll let Stefan know and you get dressed." Instead of doing either of those things though, Damon stepped over to her and captured her lips in a kiss, pulling her body against his. Elena let the feeling swallow her up, loving the feel of him holding her, but just as she began to melt Damon pulled away, tense.

"What?" She asked. He pointed to the door and then vanished, the curtain blowing out of the window as he blew through it too fast to really be seen. A second later, Jenna knocked and then entered.

"Were you talking to somebody?" Her aunt inquired, dumping a pile of clean clothes on Elena's bed.

"No," Elena lied quickly.

"I thought I heard voices. You aren't hiding Damon in the closet are you?" Jenna wagged her finger at Elena jokingly. "Seriously, are you two a thing yet?"

"Um, yes, I suppose you could call us a thing," Elena admitted, allowing herself a small grin.

"Is he a good kisser? He looks like he would be. I mean, he looks like he'd be too good. Guys like that always are," Her aunt sighed. Elena giggled uncharacteristically.

"I won't ask how good a kisser Alaric is," She teased, and it was Jenna's turn to blush.

"So Rick is kind of your step-father, isn't he?" Jenna mused. Elena had realised this before, but the thought made her sad. If Isobel had wanted her, and had gone on to marry Rick, life probably wouldn't have been so bad with him. But the decisions had all been made for her and Elena just had the cards she was dealt instead.

"That's weird," Elena stated bluntly. "Any plans for today?"

"I have a tonne of work to do so I'll probably spend the day procrastinating," Jenna replied.

"I'll be out all day with Damon." She wasn't sure why she wasn't telling Jenna that she was going to Duke; it might get Alaric back in her good books, given that things had become a little awkward and stilted between them lately, but that was beside the point.

Damon picked her up an hour later and as they headed off to grab Alaric, he filled her in on the other side of the plan.  
"Stefan is going to hang back and keep an eye on Caroline and try to convince her squirrels are tasty. While that plan is failing, we're gonna raid that office for anything we can get about Ghoulies and ghosties." Alaric took over driving from his place down to Duke, relegating Elena to the backseat. Damon was doing his best to keep things upbeat and friendly but she knew that he was feeling the strain just as much as she was. She was relieved when they finally came to the end of the long drive and Rick led them through the university.

"She was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore," Alaric explained, as they reached an office. A young woman was sat behind a desk in there, looking up with interest as the three of them approached. "Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman- I called earlier."

"Yes of course! I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant, comparative folklore," She replied in a friendly enough way, her gaze travelling over Alaric to Damon, who she looked at for a moment too long before she settled on Elena. A strange expression briefly crossed her face. "Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys," She added, rifling through a drawer in her desk before standing up.

"These are my friends Elena and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition," Alaric added. Vanessa's gaze went back to Elena for a moment.

"Oh please, Isobel's office is right through there," She pointed to a door, "Isobel was one of my first professors- I'm a grad student. She was brilliant, and one of the reasons I went into folklore. Uh I have to ask- has there been any news?" Elena had decided she didn't like the looks Vanessa was giving Damon. She had seen many women look at him that way, of course, but it was the first time she had experienced it while they were officially together. Alaric answered her question with a polite no and then they were shown into the office.  
"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Vanessa asked.

Elena, Damon and Alaric looked around. The office was comfortable and well-organised, with book shelves that went all the way up to the ceiling.  
"Where did she go?" Damon asked suddenly. Vanessa had left the room. Elena glanced around but Vanessa was suddenly back, clutching a crossbow. She aimed this at Elena and quickly fired. Before Elena could even think, Damon had vamped across the room and was in front of her, receiving the bolt in his back instead. He grunted in pain and fell to the floor. Vanessa cocked the bow again but Alaric grabbed her, slamming her against the wall and holding her still. She fought until he let go and left the room. Alaric followed, leaving Elena and Damon alone.

Elena crouched down beside him, and Damon twitched.  
"Vervain?" She asked him.

"Just a little in the arrowhead," He grunted, managing to get up, though he stayed hunched over due to the arrow, "Can you pull this thing out? It hurts." Elena closed her eyes and tugged as hard as she could at the arrow. She couldn't see it but there was nothing she could do about the ugly squelching noise it made as it left Damon's body. He straightened up, looking furious. "That bitch is dead."

"Damon," Elena put her hand on his arm, "You're not gonna kill her." She wasn't sure she had him convinced. He was clearly furious.

"Watch me," He snapped. She withdrew her hand.

"Fine. Kill her. I don't care." Elena turned her back on him and stalked away. Damon growled and zoomed in front of her, blocking her path out of the room.

"Fine. She lives- for now. But anymore fast ones and she's toast." Elena nodded her concession and smiled a little, holding out her hand to him. He took it and they headed back out to the main office, where Rick was with Vanessa.

"…It's not possible!" Vanessa was explaining with anguish, "Katherine Pierce can't be alive and Damon Salvatore died in 1864, okay? I read Isobel's research!"

"Well then what do you think I am, a hologram?" Damon asked, announcing their entrance into the room. Vanessa's eyes widened at the sight of them and she tried to stand up, but Rick forced her back down roughly. Elena understood then why Vanessa had tried to kill her- she had thought she was Katherine.

"I'm Elena Gilbert, Isobel's daughter and descendent of Katherine Pierce. And this is Damon Salvatore, who you just shot." Damon leered down at Vanessa, clearly enjoying the fear he caused her. Elena wanted to reprimand him for it, but he _had_ just taken an arrow for her.

"I'd be _extra_ nice to me right now," Damon informed the cowering grad student. Elena sighed, offering her hand to Vanessa and pulling her to her feet.

"Look, we just need your help. We need to see all of Isobel's research into Mystic Falls."

* * *

"You're helping to protect people from me now?" Damon asked. Several hours later and they had ploughed through so many different books and records with any kind of mention of Mystic Falls in that their heads were starting to spin. Elena had handed Vanessa some vervain from a box they'd found. He was still very tempted to kill the girl after she had tried to shoot Elena, but Elena was adamant on not blaming Vanessa for the doppelganger mix up. He had to admit, he'd love to take a crossbow to the real Katherine.

"People tend to be more likely to help you if they aren't scared of imminent death at your hands," Elena told him, making him smile.

"So I just found something interesting," He informed her.

"Really? Because there's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." Elena shoved the record listing Katherine's entrance to Mystic Falls away from her in frustration. Damon smirked proudly but before he could say anything, Rick interrupted them:

"Hey guys, check this out," They headed over to where he was standing with Vanessa.

"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls but here are some records of lesser known legends…" Vanessa handed them a large book containing a lot of pictures and diagrams relating to werewolves, or skin-changers as they were known in some cultures. Damon took the book, examining it with interest while Elena looked over his shoulder.  
"Tonartsliitsii Metslii," Vanessa said, "Which roughly translates as 'curse of the sun and the moon'." Damon exchanged looks with Alaric as Vanessa explained about a shaman placing a curse on werewolves and vampires, binding werewolves to the moon and vampires to be cursed by the sun.

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon asked, once she was done explaining.

"If it were a choice it wouldn't be called a curse," Vanessa replied, "Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires." Elena looked towards Damon with concern but he just shrugged. If werewolves were hunting vampires then he would have known werewolves existed by now, after all. He said as much, but Vanessa shook her head. "If there aren't that many werewolves left you wouldn't know about it. Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."

"Why would they do that?" Elena wanted to know.

"To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

There was a long pause as Damon, Elena and Alaric looked at each other. Damon had only previously vaguely considered the idea that the Lockwood's might be werewolves. He hadn't even been sure that they existed given that he'd never come across one, but the fact was, the Lockwood's were something. And given that it was a full moon that night, and Stefan was supposed to be out teaching Caroline to hunt rabbits, this could add up to something very ugly.

"I'm sure it's just a myth," Damon told Elena as they went back to rifling through Isobel's research, "The only things that can kill a vampire are a wooden stake or fire… or complete incapacitation." He added thoughtfully.

"Incapacitation?" Elena repeated.

"I'd die if you took my head off," Damon said. She grimaced.

"I don't know, Damon. We should let Stefan know, just in case." Damon pulled a face.

"Fine, you call him." He headed over to Vanessa, who was looking a little useless in the corner. "So, are you just there to look pretty or have you got anything on doppelgangers?" He was testing her; he didn't know what Isobel had instructed Vanessa to keep hidden.

"Doppelgangers mean a lot of different things in different cultures, but generally it means a double of oneself," Vanessa replied a little sardonically, "That's all I have." Damon raised an eyebrow but accepted that she was telling him the truth.

"Well just a friendly reminder that you ought to keep your mouth shut about all of this or I'm going to have to kill you. Understood?" She nodded, swallowing, and he brushed past her, picking up the book he had found earlier.  
It was large and leatherbound and the word 'PETROVA' was stamped across the spine. Damon weighed it in his hands. It was only seeing the name that had jogged his memory. Katherine had mentioned once, many years ago, that she was born under a different name. She hadn't said much more on the matter, but he recalled it now. He handed the book to Elena outside, where she was waiting by the car, struggling with the door.

"I saw this on the shelf," Elena said, taking the book.

"Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name- Katerina Petrova, to be exact." Elena looked up at him in surprise.

"How did you know that?"

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom," He shrugged when she gave him a look, "Men snoop too, you know. Anyway, it slipped my mind 'til I saw this book- Isobel obviously had it for a reason." Elena looked down wordlessly, "Let me know what you find out, Elena." He brushed her arm before opening the car door for her. She climbed into the back and he decided to follow her rather than sitting in the front with Alaric.

The journey back was long and quiet. Elena barely spoke and Damon didn't press her to, instead just taking her hand on the seat between them. Alaric was quiet too, obviously having a lot on his mind. Eventually they arrived back at Elena's house. Alaric went inside, looking like a man on a mission, leaving Damon out on the porch with Elena.  
"Thank you, Damon- for the book," Elena said to him, looking sad.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping up to her immediately and brushing her hair out of her face.

"Nothing." She replied, but then she gave in, "Just… Whatever it is we have, you and Katherine have so much history and I just can't help but wonder…"

"…if I still have feelings for her?" Elena looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Elena, are you crazy? After everything the bitch has put me through? The only person I have any feelings for is you. I love you, Elena. You know that. It's just, you're dating a guy who is in his 170th year on this earth. I'm bound to come with baggage." Thankfully, she smiled a little at him.

"It looks like you're not the only one," She said, indicating the book in her arms, "I'll let you know what I find out." She kissed him briefly on the lips before going inside. Damon watched her go.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! I finally finished this chapter! Please leave me a review letting me know what you think! And thanks to everybody who reviewed last time!**


	45. My Mirror Image

**Chapter Forty-Five: My Mirror Image**

"There you are," Damon said, making Elena jump and look up from her book, "So my first official appearance as your boyfriend is going to be at Jenna's barbeque."

"I hadn't even asked you yet," She eyed him suspiciously as he took a seat opposite her. They were sitting in the Grill, which was quite empty at this time of day.

"Well, it was my idea. Jenna went to school with Mason Lockwood and I thought a social gathering would be a good way to get to know the guy." Elena gave him a very distasteful look at this. She didn't like the idea of Damon planting ideas in Jenna's head to suit his own ends, even if she did want to know the truth about the Lockwood's herself. "Don't look at me like that. I just told Ric and he suggested it to Jenna."

"And how do you expect to get him to talk about being a werewolf?" Elena demanded. Damon grinned.

"I'm going to put some silver into him." She stared at him for a minute but then slammed her book shut and made to walk away. Before she got very far, he had zoomed in front of her, blocking her path. Elena looked around them to make sure nobody had seen the vamp move.

"Can you not do this in a way that isn't completely cruel?" She asked him in a hushed voice. Damon looked confused for a moment but then his expression cleared as he seemed to comprehend why what he'd said upset her.

"Okay," He sighed, "That'll just be a last resort. We have to find out though, because we can't really risk anything on the next full moon if it's true." At that moment, a woman walked up to him and handed him a box. He thanked her and she departed. Elena looked at the box inquiringly, "Peach cobbler. Thought it might put me in Jenna's good books." Elena's previously spiky mood vanished when he said that and she reached out to him, holding onto his wrist.

"You're already in Jenna's good books," She informed him.

"Oh really? I've never been in anybody's good books before, to be honest," He smirked.

"Well, you're making me happy," They paused to kiss. Elena smiled into his lips and when they separated, they were both grinning like idiots. Damon didn't even try to compose himself, "To keep it that way, please keep torture to a minimum."

"I'll try," Damon promised, kissing her again before departing. Elena's smile didn't fade all the way home. She'd walked down to the Grill by herself, needing a little alone time outside of the house. The preparations for the barbeque had Jenna in a fritz and she'd had the added stress of dealing with Bonnie and Caroline.

Bonnie had remained distant with Caroline since she had become a vampire, and Caroline was miserable. She had been trapped inside until nightfall and had hardly seen anybody, but on her exertions out of the house she hadn't harmed anybody. This gave Elena hope that Stefan had been right, that Caroline could do this, could cope with life as a vampire. She seemed to excel at self-control, at any rate, if you asked either of the Salvatore brothers. But the real issue had come in persuading Bonnie to make Caroline a daylight ring so that she could return to her normal life. Today was the day.

"I'm glad you came," Elena told Bonnie as they met on the porch of Caroline's house. The Sheriff was out on duty so Caroline was home alone, trapped inside while the sun shone. Bonnie looked uncomfortable and cold.

"You know I don't feel happy about this," Bonnie said stiffly.

"Caroline hasn't hurt anybody, Bon, and she's doing _well_. But she needs us, and if you want her to be able to stay in control and not become dangerous, she needs to be happy and to be happy, she needs to be able to actually live." Elena had repeated the same speech over and over, making no difference to Bonnie's stance on the subject.

"I told you I'd try." Elena flipped the ring over in her fingers. Damon had helped her acquire the stone, lapis lazuli. Bonnie was clutching the grimoire which belonged to her ancestor Emily Bennett and already looked like she wanted to run away. Elena sighed and rang the doorbell. Caroline let them in, making sure to keep out of the way of the sunlight streaming in through the glass in the door.

"Thank you Bonnie, this means a lot to me," Caroline said sincerely as she led them upstairs to her bedroom. The room was dark, with all the curtains shut.

"How are you feeling Care?" Elena asked her friend.

"I'm actually feeling good," Caroline admitted, "You know, I'm fast and confident and… _strong_." Her happy expression faltered when Bonnie pulled a face. Caroline bit her lip.

"Let's just get this over with," Bonnie said. Elena wanted badly to throw something at their witch friend but instead she just clenched her fists and watched as Bonnie sat down with the ring and the grimoire. She made a few incantations, though nothing happened visibly. Caroline and Elena waited awkwardly until Bonnie spoke up again: "Okay, it's done."

"How do we know it's worked?" Caroline asked nervously as she slipped the ring onto her finger. Elena stalked over to the window and flung the curtains open, allowing the bright sun to blare into the room. Caroline blinked, adjusting to the sudden light, but there was no sign of flames.

"It worked." Bonnie said, standing up and closing the grimoire, "I'll see you…" She left without further ado. Elena and Caroline looked at each other as they heard the front door slam downstairs.

"She hates me," Caroline said sadly, biting her lip. Elena sighed and went and sat on the bed beside her, "And you shouldn't be alone with me, I might hurt you."

"You won't, Care. I trust you," Elena told her sincerely. Caroline just gave a depressed kind of shrug. "If you tried to hurt me Damon would kill you. I think I'm pretty safe." Caroline laughed a little bit and Elena smiled, "Bonnie will come round eventually, she just doesn't understand. She needs time but you guys are best friends, she _will come round_."

"I hope so," Caroline said mournfully.

"So get ready and come over for the barbeque!" Elena made herself sound as cheerful as possible, trying to inspire some excitement in Caroline.

"If you're sure it's okay for me to come," Caroline checked, looking a little worried.

"Damon and Stefan are going to keep an eye on you," Elena promised her.

She tried to honestly not be worried about Caroline coming. When she got back home she made a point of thanking Jenna for allowing her to invite her friend. Jenna was apparently in a good mood, having just made some kind of toast with Alaric. Elena smiled at them both.  
"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline, she needs a day of distraction," She told her aunt.

"She's not the plus one I'm worried about," Jenna replied, raising her eyebrow mock-threateningly. Of course, if Jenna knew the truth about Damon she'd be much less fond of him. As it stood, Elena tried to keep Damon away from Jenna as much as possible. She knew that he would rub her up the wrong way if they spent too much time together, "But I got outvoted," She indicated Rick.

"Just," He added, giving Elena a look that Jenna wouldn't understand. At that moment, Mason Lockwood arrived. Up close, Elena noticed that he was good looking; his brother, the late Mayor, had been an older version of his son, square jawed and athletic in his youth with a bullish personality, but Mason seemed much more relaxed and comfortable in his own skin, somehow. He gave her a slightly strange look when he entered, but then he returned his attention to Jenna.

"Good news! I found the shotglasses!" He announced. Elena grimaced, not really wanting to witness what was to follow.

"That would be my exit," She muttered, exiting the room. Neither Salvatore had arrived yet, as far as she could tell, so she headed outside onto the porch. She had left a message to Stefan earlier reminding him of the barbeque but he hadn't gotten back to her. She was contemplating this when Caroline joined her.

"I'm sure Stefan's fine," She dismissed happily as she rummaged around in the bag of chips she was holding, "God, I cannot stop eating! Stefan says it's a great way to sublimate the cravings. It's horrible just fighting the urge for blood every minute of every day." Elena could only imagine.

"I know Stefan really hates that part of himself," Elena nodded. It was, after all, the reason for his dietary choices.

"And I bet Damon hates that you're a constant temptation." Elena didn't know what to say to that. Damon wasn't feeding from her anymore; he had stopped the moment he admitted his feelings for her, though it'd been Elena's idea in the first place to allow him to. Caroline would never understand that though, especially not after what Damon himself had put her through.

"I can imagine it's hard," Elena said finally.

"It's why I had to break up with Matt," Caroline shrugged, though Elena could tell she wasn't happy. Caroline was probably right in thinking she wasn't ready to be in a relationship with a human, though.

* * *

By the time Damon arrived at the barbeque, most of the adults were inebriated and the teenagers weren't fair behind, catching up with whatever they managed to sneak out from under their parents' noses. He couldn't find Elena at first so he approached Jenna instead. She was in the kitchen alone at that point, though he could tell the room had only just been vacated. There was an awkward pause; he knew that Jenna, while not outwardly disliking him, wasn't completely comfortable with him around. Like most humans, she had a sense that he was dangerous even though she couldn't put her finger on it. Damon wasn't very good at getting people to like him- he'd never really had to bother unless it suited his plans.

"Hey," He greeted her. She was rinsing out some glasses, so he made her jump because she didn't hear him enter.

"Oh, you made it," She said, drying her hands off and turning to face him. She then grimaced, "Sorry, I've had quite a lot to drink. Just imagine that I said something friendlier and more hostess-y." Damon chuckled, placing the cobbler down on the counter.

"You're telling me there's something stronger than wine in this place?" He'd been offered a glass on his way in. "Where are you hiding the good stuff?"

"I don't know if I should be drinking with my niece's boyfriend," Jenna added.

"I won't tell if you don't," He winked. Jenna laughed and produced a bottle of bourbon- good stuff, obviously courtesy of Alaric. Damon grinned and poured himself a healthy measure. He'd need it to curb the cravings anyway. He was just sipping at it when Mason entered the room.

"We're setting up Pictionary," He told Jenna, dumping some more empty glasses on the counter, "Oh hey."

"We haven't officially met," Damon said, eyeing the potential werewolf, "I'm Damon Salvatore."

"I know," Mason informed him, "I've heard great things about you. I'm Mason Lockwood." They shook hands. Mason's hand did feel warm to Damon, but everybody's always did to a vampire.  
When they headed into the living room to play Pictionary, Damon finally found Elena. She was standing with Caroline and she grinned when she saw him. He was glad to see she'd gotten over her slightly grumpy mood earlier in the day and he was sure it was probably because Bonnie had successfully made Caroline's daylight ring. The game passed uneventfully, with Damon baiting Mason for fun with depictions of 'Dances with Wolves' and the like, but Mason didn't take the bait. He saw Elena roll her eyes a few times though.

Afterwards, Damon followed Elena into the kitchen, where she set about taking the pie out of the box.  
"Aunt Jenna is getting tipsy," Damon said. He'd noticed her laughing a little too hard at a few of the mishaps during the game.

"Please don't ply her with any more alcohol," Elena asked, though she smiled as she said it.

"She's plying _herself_ , she doesn't need my help," He teased in return, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. Elena sighed and leant back into him. Damon kissed her neck, liking the way she always shivered when he did so.

"How is Operation Lockwood going?" Elena inquired after a few moments of blissful silence.

"He's my new BFF," Damon replied. In all fairness, he had been giving the 'being nice' method a good try. He was impatient though. Before they could say anymore on the subject, Jenna re-entered the room. Damon and Elena sprang apart quickly.

"There you are!" Jenna cheered, "Isn't this fun?" She staggered a little and Damon had to catch her. "Isn't this fun?"

"Yes, thank you so much for inviting me," Truth be told, he was having fun, even if this wasn't really his scene. If it wasn't for the Lockwood situation then he would feel almost… human, for once. He smiled at Elena, who was watching his expression.

"I didn't really have a choice," Jenna chastised jokingly, "But you're giving me no reason to complain, which sucks by the way." Damon chuckled at this.

"I know what you must think about me," He said, humbly. His bad reputation preceded him; he often didn't even have to do anything for that to happen.

"I have dated many you's, Damon, but you're a work in progress. It's nice that you're trying." Jenna smiled at Elena on this last part, and Damon felt her relax a little beside him. Apparently her assurances that he had already been in Jenna's good books weren't totally honest before. He wasn't surprised.

"It means a lot that you would say that," He told Jenna, who was opening up a case. Inside were a whole bunch of knives and other cutlery. Damon's eyes rested on them for a second, "These are fancy," He said.

"Thanks. My mother's silver set," Jenna added, before leaving the room. Damon locked eyes with Elena. He could see the conflict in her eyes, especially as he lifted one of the knives from the silver set, but then she gave a tiny inclination of the head, approving his plan to test his theory out.

* * *

"I thought Stefan was supposed to be coming," Caroline murmured to Elena. Elena frowned and took out her phone, checking. She had sent the younger Salvatore several messages but he hadn't gotten back to any of them, which was quite unusual for Stefan.

"You're right…" Elena agreed, "Would you be mad if I ditched you and went to check on him? I just… I have this bad feeling." She glanced towards Damon, who was paying most of his attention to Mason.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Caroline asked, "Ditching your boyfriend to go hang out with his brother?"

"It's not like that, okay? I'm just concerned," She snapped. Caroline raised her eyebrows but gave in.

"How about I drive you?" Elena hesitated at the door, looking back at Damon. He'd never agree with this plan with Katherine out there somewhere, but he was also unlikely to want to depart his current plan of trying to find out whether Mason Lockwood was a werewolf. So, she decided not to tell him where she was going, though she felt guilty about it as she did so.

Caroline seemed to be in a particularly snappy mood as she drove Elena to the Salvatore Boarding House.  
"I really appreciate this, Care," Elena told her.

"Here we come, to the rescue," Caroline said, pulling a face. Elena frowned, disliking her tone.

"Why are you being like this?" She asked her.

"That's my own drama. I'm sure you three will beat the odds, not that there's a study to pull odds from. What is the ratio of success for vampire-human couplings? I'm guessing nil," Caroline bit.

"What do you mean by 'us three'?" Elena demanded, "There is no 'us three'."

"Yeah, you don't have both brothers hanging onto you or anything." Elena would have liked very dearly to throw something at Caroline but she knew that with her as a newly turned vampire that was probably not a good idea. Instead she just ground her teeth angrily. Finally, Caroline sighed, "Sorry." They continued down the road in silence for a minute, listening to the radio. Elena's mind was elsewhere, back on Damon and Mason back at the barbeque, when a sudden loud popping sound broke into her consciousness.

"Oh crap!" Caroline cursed. A tire had burst. Elena waited as Caroline called for a tow truck but she was growing increasingly antsy. She just had a really bad feeling about Stefan's absence that she couldn't explain, except that with everything else that had been going on lately, nothing felt safe. Worse, the tow took ages to arrive and she ended up arguing with Caroline again when she tried to persuade her to walk.

"There's the tow," Elena said when the truck appeared up the road, "I'm gonna walk."

"No, Elena, don't!" Caroline begged, grabbing her arm hard. Elena fought against her grip but Caroline was now far too strong.

"Caroline, you're hurting me," Elena said firmly, though she had to admit she was a little scared. Although she knew her friend was now a vampire, she hadn't seen her do anything vamp-like since the carnival.

"Don't leave me alone," Caroline pleaded, but Elena's patience had been pushed to the limit.

"What's wrong with you?" Elena snapped. Caroline let go of her arm and Elena rubbed the place she'd grabbed; it was definitely going to bruise.

"Hey there, somebody called about a flat tire?" The two guy interrupted their glaring battle.

"She did," Elena said, walking away before Caroline could stop her. She needed to get to Stefan and she wasn't going to get there if she was stood there arguing with Caroline. It wasn't long before Elena finally reached the Boarding House. She was wishing now more than ever that she had asked Damon to come with her and abandon his Lockwood plan. Her feeling of foreboding had only increased on her walk here.

"Hello?" The door had been unlocked as ever when she arrived and as nobody had answered, Elena had let herself in. "Stefan?" She stepped into the living room, looking around, but a small noise alerted her to somebody entering the room. She turned around, expecting to see Stefan but instead she saw… herself.  
Well, of course it wasn't. Who she was seeing was Katherine. She had seen the picture, had been told so many times that they looked the same, but that still didn't prepare her for actually meeting Katherine. It was like looking into a mirror. If Katherine didn't wear her hair in curls there would be no way of telling who was who.

"You must be Elena," Katherine's voice was cold and sharp, matter-of-fact. Although she was trying to act blasé, Elena could slightly tell that Katherine was just as intrigued to see her mirror image as she was.

"How is this possible?" Elena heard herself asking her doppelganger, "How do we look exactly alike?" Katherine didn't answer but just stood, looking her up and down as if evaluating her. Elena tried not to let herself feel self-conscious but she couldn't help it. Finally, Katherine stalked toward her and brushed her neck with her finger as she passed by.

"You're asking the wrong questions," She told her, circling around behind her. Stefan appeared in the doorway from the basement then, looking anxious.

"Elena?" He exclaimed. Elena looked around but Katherine was gone, "Are you okay?" Stefan asked her with concern. Elena shook her head, feeling sick.

"Not really," She admitted, "Are you okay?" Stefan shook his head too.

"Not really."

Elena accepted a drink off Stefan while they waited for Damon to arrive. When he finally did he looked very angry and Elena knew that he was furious at her for leaving without telling him. There also seemed to be something else bothering him, though she didn't know what yet. Her mind was too full of the image of Katherine standing right in front of her.  
"What the hell happened?" Damon demanded of his brother immediately, who launched into a story about Katherine agreeing to get something George Lockwood needed in exchange for her freedom. When he was done, the three of them couldn't do much but look at each other. Even for everything else Elena knew about Katherine, the fact that she had sent twenty-six people to death in exchange for her own freedom was hard to stomach. What had George needed so badly? And why was Katherine back now?

* * *

Damon had to get away from them. He had unfinished business with a now confirmed werewolf. True, he probably shouldn't have stabbed him, it probably would have been more prudent to stay on good terms… well, Elena didn't have to know about that yet. He headed down to the Grill, needing some time to think. He didn't make it there though- just outside the bar, Katherine slunk out of the shadows.  
"Bad day?" She asked him.

"Bad century," He returned, not in the mood for her right then. "I heard you were on the loose."

"What's the matter? Jealous I spent the whole day with Stefan?" She taunted, but Damon laughed in her face. She couldn't be further from the truth.

"I don't do jealous. Not with you, not anymore." It was more the threat she had made against Elena which angered him.

"Then why so pouty?" Katherine asked him. He folded his arms across his chest, giving her a sardonic look.

"I tried to kill a werewolf, I failed. Now I just don't feel like I'm living up to my best self." Katherine had a good chuckle at that one, as was his intention.

"Werewolves aren't easy prey," She told him finally. He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you know about werewolves?" The thing had stunk of Katherine's plans from start to finish but he was going to mine her for whatever information he could- they needed to find out what she was doing back here.

"Didn't you ask your brother?" Katherine retorted, "Don't try to be the hero, Damon. You'll end up dead." Damon walked right up to her so they were almost nose to nose, smirking down at her cruelly.

"Been there, done that," He replied, "At least this time it'll be worth it." She took a half a step back, apparently still not used to his barbed comments towards her, but it gave him immense satisfaction to see that expression on her face. He'd changed his mind about the Grill now; instead, he turned and headed off to Elena's instead. She was in her room, of course, when he climbed through the window. She closed her journal, which she'd been writing in, and looked at him expectantly.

"I made an enemy in Mason," He admitted. He had never lied to her before and he didn't see the point of lying now.

"I told you not to hurt him," Elena replied.

"Sorry." He sat down on her bed beside her but she wouldn't look at him until he grabbed her chin and forced her face around so that she was looking into his eyes, "Katherine is going to try and hurt you. I don't know when, but she will. She told Stefan as much."

"Something was up with Caroline today, but then I realised… Katherine's gotten to her. That has to be it." Damon frowned, listening, "She kept trying to distract me, trying to get me to fight with her about… well about you and Stefan. She was obviously trying to keep me away from the house."

"Sounds like Katherine," Damon admitted.

"But if she wanted to get to me why wouldn't she go to you?" Elena asked, "I mean, you were the one who spent over a century waiting for her… obviously you're more likely to give her whatever she wants than Stefan is." Damon looked uncomfortable now and he dropped his hand from her chin. He ran his hand through his hair instead.

"Katherine knows I don't have any feelings left for her, and it's Stefan she loves. It always was."

"But I don't love Stefan," Elena pointed out.

"But he loves you," Damon sighed, "And she knew you'd worry enough about him to go look for him. Obviously that means something." Elena shook her head, putting her hands on his shoulders, trying to catch his eye. He looked troubled.

"No, no… she just knows that you wouldn't ever be away from me to allow anything to happen. Stefan was the easier target, that's all. You know it's you that I love, Damon." His expression softened and he leant in to press his lips against hers. Elena sighed at the feeling and he took this chance to deepen the kiss, pulling her in close to him. When they broke apart, Damon's eyes were shining.

"We're gonna find out what Katherine wants, okay? Nothing she does is going to come between us. I promise."

* * *

 **A/N: So I put a lot of effort into this chapter, I hope it paid off! Thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far, it means a lot! Please drop me another line letting me know what you think, as ever :)**


	46. Wolves and Witnesses

**Chapter Forty-Six: Wolves and Witnesses**

The entire world as she'd known it had changed in just a matter of months. Vampires existed, so did witches, and now it seemed that werewolves were also real. Elena was considering all of these facts as she got ready in the bathroom. Jeremy entered then from his side, raising his eyebrows at her.  
"I can't believe Tyler Lockwood is a werewolf," Jeremy said, obviously thinking about it all too.

"We're not sure about that yet. The only thing we know for sure is that Mason Lockwood is one," Elena reminded him. She sometimes regretted telling Jeremy everything- there were things she'd rather he stayed out of but that he was all too eager to involve himself in. But on the whole she was glad to have her brother back again, and to have somebody human and ordinary to talk about everything with.

"It should be easy enough for us to figure out," Jeremy said casually, putting paste on his toothbrush.

"There is no us," Elena said firmly, "I said that I wouldn't keep things from you anymore, that doesn't mean I want you involved in it." She'd given him the same speech a dozen times but it never stuck.

"By definition of being in this family, I'm involved," Jeremy retorted. Elena sighed and turned to him.

"Jer, it's too dangerous. You have to stay out of it, okay?" They stared each other down for a moment but then Jeremy gave in. She felt a little relieved when she saw the fighting stance leave his shoulders.

"Alright. I was just saying." Elena smiled wryly and exited the bathroom. When she re-entered her bedroom, Damon was waiting right where she left him, sat on her bed with his ankles and arms crossed, watching her intently.

"The Mystic Falls Historical Society's Volunteer Day, huh?" He smirked, "Are you sure you want to go to this?"

"If I don't show my face at these things people ask questions. I'm a Gilbert." Truth be told, Elena had never been less enthusiastic about anything in her life. She was less than pleased that Damon had tried to kill Mason Lockwood and knew that nothing but trouble was likely to arise as a consequence. She'd had enough trouble for a while now. Still, she knew that Stefan was hoping to smooth things over- she only hoped that he could.

"I'm a Salvatore," Damon shrugged, "The difference is, I don't care."

"But you're going to be there," Elena pointed out.

"And so are you."

* * *

Elena was still angry at him, Damon could tell, though she did give him a chaste peck on the lips before she went to help planting bushes in the new public park. He watched her go, not sure what to do about the whole situation. He'd made a mistake by attacking Mason, who'd only wanted peace between them, and made himself an enemy and landed up with an angry girlfriend. But, he was pleased this anger wasn't causing them to fight. They had decided to present a united front to Katherine. He was just looking around, admiring the results of the donation the ever-ostentatious Fell family had donated, when he saw Stefan shaking hands with Mason Lockwood himself. Frowning, Damon flashed over to him. Stefan jumped a little when he turned around to find Damon right behind him.

"What are you doing?" Damon demanded.

"Negotiating peace on your behalf," Stefan replied. Damon pulled a face.

"Have you ever heard of not poking the bear? Or, in this case, the wolf?" He asked, "You don't seriously think a handshake will solve all of our problems, do you?"

"No," Stefan answered honestly, "Actually, I think given the first chance he has, Mason is going to drive a stake through your heart and then mine, all because _you_ took it upon yourself to try and kill him. So thanks, because we don't have enough problems." Stefan began to walk away but Damon grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"I messed up, okay? I know that." Stefan narrowed his green eyes at him for a moment but then his expression cleared and he nodded, believing Damon. He let out a breath and looked around for Elena. She was talking to Caroline at that moment as they began to paint a veranda. He tuned out of their conversation and instead focused in on something else; Mason was talking to Liz. Damon headed over there, not having been able to quite hear the conversation, but by the time he got there Mason was gone.

"Hey, I saw you with Mason earlier. What was that about?" He asked the Sheriff.

"I, ah, I just asked him to help with the clean-up in the woods," She replied. It was a perfectly normal response but she seemed uncomfortable. She was usually quite relaxed around Damon, ever since they'd bonded over their mutual dislike of John Gilbert. This left him with a bad feeling. He offered to help but Liz refused, "I'm sure he's fine."

"Are you okay, Liz? You seem really upset," Damon watched her closely.

"It's Caroline," The Sheriff shrugged, looking towards her daughter, "We had a moment."

"Is there anything I can do?" He could only imagine how erratic Caroline's behaviour must be now that she was a newly turned vampire living undetected in the same house as a vampire-hunting Sheriff. It was bound to cause friction, even if Liz didn't know why.

"No Damon. Thank you. It's just horrible parental skills paying off in spades." Damon frowned as she walked off, wondering. There was definitely something funny about the way she'd behaved when he questioned her about Mason. It gave him a very uneasy feeling. He looked over towards Caroline and Elena but the latter had gone off to speak to Stefan, probably about the supposed 'peace negotiations'. Snorting at the idea, he chose to approach the blonde instead.

"Why are you being such a bitch to your mom?" Damon demanded without further ado. Caroline gave him a dirty look.

"Don't worry about it." One thing was for sure and that was that vampirism had cured Caroline of any wariness or fear she had of Damon. She met his eyes now easily, and coldly. He felt strangely proud of her in a weird way- she seemed much happier in her own skin nowadays, even if she was still adjusting.

"Caroline, we may not be the best of friends, but take it as somebody who knows all about crappy parenting from experience: you do not want to take your mom for granted. You're her world and she means well, just remember, she has no idea what you've been going through. You can't take it out on her." She looked surprised to hear his advice, especially as it was sincere. She stared at him for a long minute, apparently unsure how to respond. Damon opened his mouth to speak but then she shook her head at him and tapped her ear, her eyes shifting in the direction of Stefan and Elena. Damon understood but instead of listening, he grabbed Caroline and dragged her forcefully away to a point where she couldn't eavesdrop on Stefan and Elena.

"What the hell?" Caroline cried angrily, trying to throw him off, but Damon was stronger and he held onto her wrists.

"Instead of using your super-hearing to stick your nose in where it's not wanted, you should be using your common sense about where you place your loyalties." She stared at him, wide-eyed, as she realised he knew her secret. "Who the hell decides to run errands for their best friend's evil twin? You do realise Katherine is the one who _killed_ you, right?"

"She's also the only one who hasn't lied to me. Damon, I remember everything you made me forget. And I remember Elena neglecting to fill me in." Caroline was glaring at him intensely. Damon sighed.

"Fine, you're mad, I would be too, but you've never been a total idiot Caroline. Making deals with psychos? _Really_?" He let her go and walked away, satisfied that his message had been received- whatever she told Katherine now, it would gum up the works. Katherine liked to keep her plans a mystery. He went to head back over to Elena but she was once again busy with something. Sighing, he instead went over to the lemonade stand, where Mason Lockwood was standing.

"Well, Mason," Damon greeted him, "Working hard?" He observed him sipping his lemonade.

"I'm doing my part," Mason shrugged. He gave a sheen of politeness to what he was saying but Damon could tell he was still tense and angry around him. He suppressed his smirk.

"I heard you talked to Stefan," Damon added.

"Nice guy," So Mason was keeping it vague, Damon noticed. It was the same tactic he would use, of course, which gave him food for thought. He glanced at the girl serving the lemonade.

"Yeah," Damon agreed mildly, looking back at Mason, "A lot nicer than me."

"Nice is overrated," Mason shrugged, depositing his empty cup in the trash can.

"That's what I thought. Huh!" Damon said, injecting his voice with mock-surprise. Mason seemed to refrain from rolling his eyes with difficulty, but he did manage a fairly convincing smile.

"You have a good day, Damon," The wolf wished him as he took his leave. Damon watched him leave, and then scanned the surroundings. Sheriff Forbes was watching him in what she thought was a subtle way, but which was obvious to a vampire. Damon thought he knew where this going but before he could test his theory, Stefan approached him, his brow furrowed.

"Please tell me that you were just bonding," Stefan said. Damon raised his eyebrows at his younger brother.

"I was theorising," He responded.

"Really?" Stefan asked. Damon nodded and turned back to the girl at the lemonade stand.

"Would you like some lemonade?" She asked him politely, with a smile. Damon accepted graciously and took the cup of lemonade from her, but didn't raise it to his lips. He looked around once more, appearing as casual as possible. Sheriff Forbes was still watching him. Damon slowly raised it up so that the cup was covering his mouth. When he got it right under his nose, he had proof his theory was right; the lemonade had been spiked with vervain. Mason had told the Sheriff what he and Stefan were and he was trying to prove it.

"You tell Caroline not to touch this stuff," Damon murmured to Stefan, "It seems your peace negotiations didn't stick." Stefan frowned and accepted some lemonade of his own. Once he too had sniffed it, he nodded.

"You're right." Stefan abandoned his cup with a distracted expression, as if he'd just suddenly remembered something, but Damon knew that he had really gone after Mason, his mind one step ahead of Damon's in this case. Sighing, he raised the cup to the Sheriff as if toasting her, but then he poured the contaminated liquid out and turned to follow Stefan into the trees. Either way, the truth was out now. The only thing left to do was to kill Mason Lockwood- something he would take great pleasure in doing.

He headed into the trees, picking up speed as soon as he was out of sight of the general public. As everything flew by him in a blur of brown and green, Damon concentrated on the scent that he knew belonged to his brother. They had literally moments before the Sheriff caught up to them and when she did, their day may be done. It didn't take him long to find both Stefan and Mason standing among the trees.

"You'll need to wake up earlier to try and sneak vervain passed two seasoned vamps," Damon told the werewolf. He wanted nothing more than to just tear into him right there, rip his head right off his body, but he resisted. Stefan was standing deadly still, more ominous by his silence than anything else. "Don't look so surprised. Go ahead, run, we'll give you a head start." Mason moved a second later, though not in the way that Damon was expecting. Instead of running off or arguing, he ducked. Damon heard a noise behind them but then shots rang out and wooden bullets were ripping into his and Stefan's bodies; they'd been caught up to.

"Thank you, Mason," He heard Liz say, and the next thing he knew a needle was being stuck into him and everything went black.

When he woke up, he was somewhere dark, evidently underground. He remembered the old tunnels underneath Mystic Falls. He moved groggily, the vervain in his system causing an agonising weakness he couldn't shake off. But at the very slight movement he made, a gun went off and another wooden bullet tore into his leg. He groaned and managed to focus on the Sheriff.

"This is how it's gonna work," She said commandingly, "Answer me and you don't get shot, understand? How many of you are there?" Damon struggled up so that he was leaning on his elbows.

"Liz, please," He pleaded roughly. His head hurt, in fact everywhere hurt, because of the vervain she'd injected him with. Nearby, Stefan's body lay unconscious. The animal blood diet he kept made him more vulnerable to vervain, even more so than the usual vampire. Liz also had two deputies down here with her, though Damon knew if they waited long enough the vervain would leave his system and then the three of them would be no match for him and Stefan. So, he decided to bide his time. However, Liz shot at him once more as he made that quick decision and he screamed in pain, dropping back down onto his back.

"How did you fool us?" The Sheriff demanded, "How do you walk in the sun?" Well, that was a secret he and Stefan were never going to tell, that was for sure. They had sworn to Emily all those years ago that they wouldn't spread around how they became day walkers, and honestly it benefited them for the most part to keep that secret. "I will drag this out painfully!" Liz promised him when he didn't answer.

"But you're my friend," Damon pointed out.

"Our friendship was a lie! Answer me and I'll kill you fast!" Damon looked at her, his mouth firmly shut. "He's not gonna tell us anything," Liz concluded finally, turning to her deputies, "Kill them both." The two brawny deputies came out of the shadows. But Damon had heard something from further off, above them. Two voices… female… Elena and Caroline! Relief spread through him for a moment, as he ignored Liz's instructions on her plan to kill him and his brother.

"We have to stop her!" Elena was saying emphatically.

"No, I can't, Elena!" Caroline argued, sounding upset, "She's gonna find out about me! Elena!" Footsteps. Elena was coming down into the ruins! Somewhere not far off, a metal gate creaked, loud enough for the Sheriff to hear. She paused and looked at one of the deputies, bidding them to check it out. The big man began to leave, only for a loud thump to sound, and then he fell to the ground. Elena came charging in, brandishing a heavy plank. Damon thought he'd never been so glad to see someone in his long life.

"Elena! What are you doing?" The Sheriff cried, sounding distressed.

"You can't kill them! I won't let you!" Damon tried to cry out a warning but it was too late. The deputy Elena had knocked over was back on his feet and he had shoved her forwards so that she fell to her hands and knees. He was readying his gun, but then a bright blur sped through the place. Damon was getting dizzy, but he saw Caroline sink her teeth into one deputy. His colleague fired at her but only hit the first cop, and then Caroline had knocked the second one out. Stopping at last and turning to her petrified mother, Caroline grinned, blood running down her cheeks.

"Hi Mom."

* * *

Elena crawled over to Damon, who looked weak. She sat and pulled his head into her lap, stroking his face gently. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment and he let out a sigh, savouring the fact that once again he had escaped death. Caroline was speaking to her mother quietly nearby, and Stefan was not yet awake. For the moment it was just the two of them; she tried to ignore the bodies of the two deputies.

"I'm sorry," She breathed finally. Damon's beautiful blue eyes opened again.

"For what?" He asked.

"I got mad at you for attacking Mason… but you were right about him. He's a threat." Damon grimaced and sat up.

"I still broke a promise to you," He pointed out.

"I don't care. He… he needs to be stopped." She looked around at the cell they were in, unable to comprehend what had almost happened. If Caroline hadn't heard the commotion… Damon was shifting himself with difficulty over to the body of the nearest deputy, the one that Caroline had bitten and then had been shot by his fellow cop. The blood was still glistening on his neck and Elena realised what he was about to do- what he needed to do. She waited for her stomach to lurch, for herself to feel repulsed and look away, but she didn't feel that way. She just watched as Damon lowered himself over the body and began to drink. After a few moments, he looked up at her. The veins around his eyes were dark and protruding, the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and between his lips she could see his elongated canine teeth. Blood dripped from his lips but something strange was drawing her in. She crawled over to him and wiped some of the blood away with her thumb, looking at it strangely.

"What are you doing to me?" Damon whispered. She shivered and wiped the blood away on her jeans. He lowered his mouth back to the body and Elena turned towards Stefan, who was finally waking up, groaning. "You need to drink some deputy blood," He informed his brother in a normal speaking voice.

"I'm gonna be fine, it's just gonna take a little longer."

"Damon's right, you know," Caroline called to him, "If there's ever a time to break your diet…"

"You look weak," Elena muttered. Stefan frowned when she said that.

"I don't want it. I'll be fine," He insisted firmly, through gritted teeth. Damon had restored his strength and got to his feet. He stalked over to where the Sheriff was sat, looking scared now that she was outnumbered.

"This is a most unfortunate situation," He said menacingly, "Two deputies dead… and you. What am I gonna do with you?" Elena got to her feet, catching sight of the expression on Caroline's face. She may have enough anger to kill Mason Lockwood herself right now but she certainly didn't want the Sheriff dead.

"Damon," Elena spoke his name. He looked back at her for a moment.

"Mom," Caroline said in a small voice, "You won't tell anyone, will you? Mom? Please. Look I know that we don't get along and that you hate me, but I _am_ your daughter. You'll do this for me won't you? Please, Mom. He _will_ kill you." Elena swallowed when she saw the unyielding expression on the Sheriff's face. She knew what the answer was going to be before it was given.

"Then kill me." Elena saw Damon's back tense up, but he was no longer looking at her. He was glaring down at the Sheriff. He was certainly angry enough to kill, she knew him well enough to realise that, but he was hesitating. He bent down so that he was on eye level with the Sheriff instead.

"But you were gonna drag it out _so_ painfully," He taunted. Elena felt her stomach twist; she didn't like this side of Damon, the side that reminded her of what he was. But, she would be lying if she said she didn't understand what he was thinking.

"Damon, don't!" Stefan called warningly.

"Please," Elena muttered. Caroline looked stricken. Her mother would rather die than know her as a vampire, but she didn't want her mother to be hurt.

"Relax, guys," Damon said, after some thought, straightening up, "Nobody is killing anybody."

Elena watched as Damon and Stefan removed Sheriff Forbes from the cell, and she and Caroline followed. Nobody looked back at the bodies of the deputies.  
Back at the Salvatore Boarding House, they put Liz in the cell where both Salvatore's had been imprisoned at one time or another. Unable to watch her mother being incarcerated, Caroline paused upstairs and gulped down a measure of bourbon. Elena and Stefan waited and Caroline smiled in a sad but reassuring way before they headed down the stairs to where the cell was.

"… once the vervain's out of your system, I'll compel you, you will forget everything and you will be a free woman," Elena heard Damon say through the door.

"Can you keep Caroline far away from me please? I don't want to see her," The Sheriff told him. Caroline, who had been about to open the door, let her hand fall back to her side. Elena could see her heartbreak all over her face and she felt terrible. Caroline had never asked for any of this. It wasn't fair.

"She's your daughter, Liz," Damon told her, and Elena felt a surge of affection for Damon.

"Not anymore," The Sheriff replied, "My daughter's gone." Caroline swallowed hard, still listening. Elena reached out for her hand and tried to grasp it but Caroline moved away.

"You have no idea how wrong you are about that," Damon told her evenly, though Elena detected a note of sadness to his voice. She looked at Stefan and he was frowning, making her wonder if Damon was remembering something more personal. Damon exited the cell then, closing the door behind him. He looked at Caroline, who turned away and made to leave. Stefan followed her immediately, and Elena was going to follow too but she hesitated and looked at Damon.

"Are you okay?" She asked him softly. She knew he considered Sheriff Forbes one of his few friends.

"Sometimes people surprise you with how they react, and she has. I thought she was better than that, especially when it came to her own daughter." He looked angry. Elena took his hand and he squeezed hers gratefully. They headed back upstairs to the living room, where Caroline was sat with Stefan, looking distressed. She looked straight to Elena and Damon.

"Shall I take you home?" Elena asked. Damon didn't drop her hand. Although it was not a secret that they were 'official', she and Damon hadn't been overt with their relationship, letting people find out gently and in due-course. But right then, Elena needed his support and he knew that.

"I can't go home," Caroline gulped.

"Why not?"

" _She'll_ be there," Caroline replied, "Waiting for me to report back on everything that happened today, everything that was said. She's been making me spy on you."

"I know, and I've been so mad at you because I couldn't understand why you'd do that to me," Elena admitted, feeling a little of a weight being lifted from her shoulders as she did so, "But then I put myself in your position and I realised… who did she threaten? Care?"

"Matt," Caroline answered miserably, "She threatened Matt and I… I'm scared of her. I'm _so_ scared of her." Elena heard Damon's teeth mash together beside her.

"I should have realised," He growled, "Caroline…"

"Yeah. You should have realised I wouldn't just _make a deal with a psycho_ ," Caroline snapped. Damon let go of Elena's hand and she could tell he was about to do something rash, so she seized his arm. He stopped and looked back at her, exhaling, seeming to calm down a little. "I just don't get why she's doing this," Caroline said, looking from Elena to Stefan, "What does she _want_?"

"That's the million dollar question," Elena told her.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay so this is quite a long one. I'm sorry that it's mostly canon, but there are a couple of differences, like the fact Damon realised there was vervain before he drank it! Anyway, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Sorry for being a review whore but your feedback means a lot!**


	47. The Moonstone

**Chapter Forty-Seven: The Moonstone**

Damon watched as Elena tucked a blanket over Caroline, who was sleeping on the couch. He still regularly marvelled at how he had managed to find somebody so kind and nurturing considering the type of person he was… or who he had been. He wasn't sure anymore. As Elena left the room, he stopped her at the door.  
"Caroline's sleeping on the couch," She told him.

"I heard," He'd been taking a much-needed shower while Caroline and Elena discussed this. "And you?" Elena hesitated, glancing towards the door and then back at him. "I'd like it if you stayed," He told her, "But if not I'll drop you home."

"I'll stay," She smiled shyly, and Damon smiled back, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Where's Stefan?"

"Having an existential crisis," Damon replied, "I found him staring broodingly at a blood bag. He didn't drink it, but he needs to."

"I know," Elena agreed, surprising him for the second time on this subject matter, "But can he control it?" Damon considered this question for a moment, cocking his head to the side as he did so. Finally, he answered:

"I don't know if Stefan will ever able to control it," He told her honestly, "But he thinks that, because Katherine sipped a little vervain everyday for over a century, and she built a tolerance up to it… that maybe he will be able to do the same."

"Will it work?" Elena questioned.

"He has to try if we have any hope of beating Katherine." She nodded, accepting this answer.

Damon rose earlier than Elena. His mind had been working overnight and he thought he had come up with a solution to the Stefan problem, though it wasn't going to be much fun for him. He left Elena sleeping and headed to his brother's room. Stefan was already awake, though it wasn't exactly early, and he was doing push-ups.  
"Ever heard of knocking?" Stefan asked.

"I won't help you then," Damon responded, making as if to leave. He heard Stefan jump to a standing position and turned back around with a smirk.

"Help me with what?" Stefan demanded.

"Your little blood problem."

"What?" Damon gave an over-exaggerated sigh.

"Well, you told me that you thought you could build up a tolerance to blood, right? So I was going to offer to be your… let's say… supplier," Stefan raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised that Damon was offering him any kind of help with this, "I'd give you your little daily supply and make sure you don't get out of control or lose it."

"Why would you want to help me?" Stefan wanted to know.

"No good deed goes unpunished with you, does it? Stefan, in case you're forgetting, the entire reason we need you to be strong is because Katherine is on the loose and as things stand she could hand your ass to you no problem. It's good for both of us if you sip a little of the good stuff." Damon wasn't lying about his reasons, but he was willing to admit that a part of himself really just wanted to help his younger brother finally master the bloodlust. He'd never tell Stefan that though.

"Fine," Stefan said, "That would be, uh, nice?"

"Don't get all teary on me, brother."

Elena decided she should hurry home almost the moment she woke up, realising she had never told Jenna where she was, though Damon was sure her aunt could assume the rest. Still, he let her go graciously. He set about preparing some blood for Stefan, deciding how much blood his brother could have per day which would be enough to keep him strong whilst limiting how much he could get. He was just settling this with a glass of blood for himself when a knock came on the door.

"I need to talk to you," Jeremy Gilbert blurted out before Damon had even managed to open the door all the way.

"Why?" He asked, biting back a ruder response. Jeremy shoved his way in, looking around at the place.

"Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse, he's not a werewolf yet," Jeremy told him. Admittedly, Damon did find this interesting; he had wondered how it worked exactly. It hadn't appeared that Tyler's father had been a werewolf in the sense that Mason was (case in point, having apparently attacked Matt Donovan in the woods on the last full moon), but he had been affected by the Gilbert advice just as every vampire had.

"And if Tyler Lockwood isn't a werewolf, why is he of any interest to me?" Damon asked Jeremy.

"Mason Lockwood is looking for a moonstone, a special rock connected to the werewolf legend- that's why he's here," Jeremy told him. Damon frowned.

"Moonstone?"

"I know where it is." It seemed the younger Gilbert had kept himself busy while they were dealing with the Sheriff.

"Why are you telling me this?" Damon said quietly, watching Jeremy. He hadn't stopped moving since Damon had opened the door, looking all around the room and appearing restless. His eyes lingered on the glass of blood Damon had left sitting on a table while he went to answer the door. He snatched it up promptly, disconcerting Jeremy by vamping across the room.

"I just want to help, okay?" Jeremy snapped. Damon held up a hand in mock-defence.

"What does your sister think of your helping?" He knew what the answer was, of course; Elena wanted Jeremy to stay out of everything, but that was pretty much impossible for somebody like Jeremy, who did nothing but brood all day. "Alright," Damon told him with a sigh, draining his blood and putting the glass down, "Tell me what you know."

* * *

The masquerade ball was beginning to take shape in the Lockwood mansion. Elena was just heading down the front steps to fetch some more decorations when she spotted Bonnie outside, carrying a box. It felt like an eternity since she'd seen Bonnie and so she hurried over.  
"You're here," She said.

"I'm here," Bonnie responded flatly. Elena took some of the candles from inside the box Bonnie was carrying, glancing around to make sure that nobody was around. When she looked back at her, Bonnie was doing the same, looking around- though for a different reason.

"Caroline's not coming," Elena said, sounding a little snappy even to her own ears, "You know eventually you're gonna have to talk to her."

"Could you make it a little less obvious that you're on your side?" Bonnie asked irritably.

"There _are_ no sides, Bonnie," Elena sighed. Bonnie gave her a sceptical look.

"Since Caroline became a vampire we hardly see each other. It was bad enough losing her, I didn't think I was going to lose you too," This, of course, made Elena feel guilty. She hadn't made much time for Bonnie lately, between Damon and Caroline and all the business with Katherine…

"Come with me," Elena said, dropping the candles back into the box.

"Where?" Bonnie asked confusedly.

"Some place quiet, we have to talk." Elena held out her hand, wondering if Bonnie would follow. Her witch friend did hesitate for a second but then she stretched out her own hand and took Elena's, following her. It didn't take as long as Elena thought it would to explain everything that had gone on to Bonnie, but by the time the pair of them reached the other side of the yard, Bonnie was agape.

"I can't believe this," She said to Elena, shaking her head.

"Katherine is doing whatever she can to try and… I don't even know what she's trying to do. Keep me away from Stefan? Make me and Damon fight? I don't get it. But whatever it was, Caroline just got trapped in the middle. It wasn't her fault," She finished, a little pleadingly. The pair of them sank onto a bench and Bonnie stared off for a minute.

"So you and Damon are showing a united front to Katherine," Bonnie concluded. Elena nodded. Bonnie's expression was hard. "It's not that I don't want you to be happy, Elena but you just… I didn't know you guys were an official 'thing' now."

"I don't want to keep things from you, Bon, but you made it perfectly clear where you stand on the whole vampire thing… and the Damon thing," Elena added.

"Damon…" Bonnie repeated the name with a shake of the head, "I get it, okay? I' m the odd man out now."

"You're my best friend Bonnie, and I'm sorry all the stuff with Caroline got in the middle of that. She needs you too, though," Elena said sadly, looking at the witch. Bonnie swallowed.

"I… She's a vampire. I can't. We should get back." As Bonnie walked away, Elena caught sight of Stefan approaching Mason. She knew the latter would be surprised to see that Stefan was still alive after his brush with the Sheriff… Everything was such a mess now, she reflected, as she headed back inside to continue helping with the preparations for the ball.

She was sorting through masks, trying to focus on the task at hand and not worry about everything else (an impossible task) when Damon sidled up to her, making her jump.  
"What are you doing here?" Charity work wasn't usually his thing, after all. Damon smirked, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"I was looking for my baby bro actually. Speaking of," He gave her a significant look, "I think you need a word with yours."

"What?" Elena frowned, glancing around. Jeremy was nearby. "What's going on?"

"You should ask eager beaver," Damon winked, brushed her arm with his hand as he headed off in Stefan's direction. The younger Salvatore by that time was conversing with Bonnie, a serious expression on his face. Jeremy was approaching her now though.

"What's going on, Jer?" Elena demanded. She hated her little brother being involved in any of this, and if he was spending more time with Damon she guessed that he was getting more involved.

"Well, Damon and I…" Elena raised her eyebrows at his choice of words, "There's this thing about Mason and…" He stopped again, looking annoyed now. "Look, I wouldn't be involved if it wasn't for you so you can stop looking at me like that." Jeremy snapped, storming off. Elena gaped after her brother, wondering what on earth was going on now.

* * *

"I just found out a very interesting piece of information," Damon began as he approached Stefan. Bonnie Bennett had scowled at the sight of him, turning on her heel and departing before he got anywhere near the pair. He'd rolled his eyes at this, but now he could see Stefan's facial expression he brought himself to a halt again. "What fresh hell has erupted?"

"Bonnie had a vision when she touched Mason," Stefan said.

"Really?" Damon frowned. Witches like Bonnie usually got visions or feelings when they touched a vampire, informing them of what they were. Emily had always known a vampire when she touched one, and the same had been true for Sheila Bennett, too. He wondered what this new vision was.

"Yeah. It was of Mason and Elena kissing." Damon's mouth dropped open for a second before he closed it. "Which was obviously…"

"Mason and Katherine. They're together." The ugly missing piece of the jigsaw had fallen into place. Of course Katherine was behind this, she had even hinted to Damon that she knew about werewolves but had refused to give anything more away… Mason showing back up had been no accident; his brother's funeral had just been a fortunate excuse.

"We missed it," Stefan was saying, "He got into town right after she did. It makes sense." It did. It made a very ugly kind of sense, the kind of sense only Katherine Pierce made.

"He's hardly her type though," Damon noted, "Werewolf thing aside, he's a surfer. She's using him."

"Using him for what, though?" And so, Damon explained about the moonstone. Once done, Stefan's frown had only deepened: "But why would Katherine want the full moon curse broken? A werewolf bite will kill a vampire."

"This is Katherine," Damon reminded his brother, "She's always up to something and she doesn't like anybody knowing what it is." Stefan nodded, deep in thought.

"How are we going to get this moonstone?" It was clear to both brothers that Mason Lockwood getting the moonstone was a bad idea, but it was even worse if Katherine was involved. They couldn't allow the curse to be broken.

"Jeremy is getting it from Tyler," Damon didn't like this part of the plan at all, and he knew Elena would like it even less but as things stood it probably was their best bet. Tyler had spilled the beans to Jeremy in the first place, after all, so the younger Gilbert was in a position nobody else could get into.

"Why would you involve Jeremy?" Stefan asked, sounding angry.

"Believe me, I tried not to." Stefan turned and walked away, shaking his head, and Damon followed. He was about to open his mouth and try to protest his innocence in involving Jeremy some more when he heard two voices which stopped him in his tracks as they got outside. Stefan stopped just as abruptly, and the pair of them began to listen.

"… I want to make sure it's the same kind of stone. You think I could check it out again?" Jeremy was asking, doing a good impression of being casual about it.

"Nope," Tyler replied matter-of-factly, "I gave it to my uncle." Damon's head snapped up at this and he felt fury pooling in his stomach.

"Why did you do that?" Jeremy asked, an edge to his voice then.

"Because I'm done with legends and curses," Tyler replied, sounding annoyed, "I don't want anything to do with it, okay?" Stefan turned around and looked at Damon. Damon's teeth ground together as he made a snap decision. He turned and flashed across the place to where Bonnie Bennett had stormed off to. She gave a startled cry of surprise when he seized her by the arm none-too-gently, but he didn't care if she hurt him. He could hear that Stefan was right behind him as he dragged Bonnie forcibly away from everybody else, towards the edges of the Lockwood grounds. She dug her heels in eventually.

"Okay, this is as far as I go," She stated, and Damon let go of her, allowing her to stop. She wheeled to face him as he agreed. "What do you want?" Bonnie demanded.

"A favour," He replied snappily.

"Like that's gonna happen," She scoffed.

"So predictable," He had no patience for this right now. It was essential that they got that moonstone back off Mason Lockwood before it fell into Katherine's hands- if it hadn't already, he reflected furiously, "That's why I brought him." He indicated Stefan. His brother crossed his arms but nodded.

"I know how you feel about helping us out," Stefan began, "But since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them so, just hear us out?" Bonnie's mouth was firmly shut.

"Pretty please," Damon added, a little sarcastically. His phone had buzzed several times as he dragged Bonnie away but he had ignored it. Now it began to ring and he took it out as Bonnie sighed sceptically:

"I'm listening." Damon picked up the call, which was from Elena.

"Damon what the hell is going on?" She asked immediately, sounding annoyed, "Jeremy seems to be in on some kind of plan with you and I saw you going off with Bonnie like something happened but I'm stuck here sorting stupid masks for Mrs Lockwood." He could understand her anguish. He looked at Stefan, who could hear everything, and his brother nodded. Damon stepped away from the exchange.

"Long story short, Bonnie saw a vision of Mason with Katherine. They're working together to get this moonstone which is a part of the curse limiting werewolves to transform only on the full moon. Tyler had the moonstone and Jeremy was supposed to get it from him, but Tyler's already given it to Mason. Now we need to find out if Mason has given it to Katherine yet." Elena didn't even breathe for a while after he finished his rapid summary of events. When she did finally exhale, she sounded scared but resigned all at once.

"Damon, just… promise me you won't kill him." His stomach leapt when she said that. How could he promise that? If Mason was working for Katherine… "Please," She said, to his silence, "Don't punish him for being Katherine's victim."

"I won't punish him for that," He agreed reluctantly. He hung up the call and went back to his brother and the witch, the latter of whom looked unhappy.

"I'll incapacitate him for a second. You grab him and take him out of here." Damon had no idea how Stefan had managed to convince Bonnie of this, but he was glad, "I'll try to see if he gave the moonstone to Katherine." They headed back to the hustle and bustle of masquerade ball preparations. Damon spotted Mason outside, loitering near his car.

"Grab that table. He's the perfect gentleman, he'll come help you," Damon muttered to Bonnie while they were still out of sight. She gave him a chilled look.

"Do you think only in diabolical schemes?" She sniped. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Just do it, Bon-Bon," He advised her. She rolled her eyes this time and headed over to the truck holding the table. She began to pull on it, evidently struggling to lift it out. Predictably, Mason soon hurried forward to give her a helping hand. Damon and Stefan began to advance toward the pair, knowing they had to be quick. Mason collapsed to his knees in pain as Bonnie wielded her aneurysm spell on him. No sooner had he hit the ground than Damon kneed him in the face, knocking the werewolf out cold. In the same movement, Damon opened the passenger door of Mason's car, indicating that Bonnie should get in. Stefan removed Mason's keys from his pockets and tossed them to Damon as Bonnie climbed into the car. Damon helped Stefan lift Mason into the trunk of his car before slamming it shut and hopping into the driver's side. He nodded once to Stefan before driving off with Bonnie.

* * *

 **A/N: I know this chapter is a little shorter than the more recent ones, sorry about that! And I'm sorry for the gap in updates, I am legitimately the clumsiest person in the world and managed to give myself a concussion by banging my head against a wall. Don't ask lol! I'm fine now, just a little sore, but I apologise for the delay! Thanks to everybody who has reviewed, you guys are too kind!**


	48. Natural Instinct

**Chapter Forty-Eight: Natural Instinct**

Damon used his foot to kick the front door open before as he carried Mason's unconscious body on his shoulder. The weight was nothing to him but his dumping of Mason into a chair was unceremonious. Bonnie followed him into the room, dumping Mason's bag into a separate chair.  
"Here's his bag, as requested," She added sarcastically. Damon was unfolding a blanket with a flourish.

"Grab that corner," He told the witch.

"Why are we doing this?" She asked.

"Because I don't want to stain the carpet," He replied. Bonnie grimaced.

"I knew you'd say something like that," She evidently didn't approve of his morbid sense of humour. His promise to Elena was still echoing in his ears, however.

"Judging again," He reprimanded Bonnie. She sighed and helped him to place the blanket over the rug. Damon then went over and began searching through Mason's bag. His hand found cool metal.

"He's not going to be out much longer," Bonnie said, looking at Mason as he was, slumped over in the chair. Damon pulled on whatever it was in the bag and found himself removing long, heavy metal chains.

"Woah, looks like this guy's used to being tied up." He had to admit, he was curious about this. He supposed that werewolves had to do something to make themselves less of a danger to the general public while they were transformed; after all, they did hunt humans when there were no vampires around. Bonnie stepped over to Mason and placed her hands on the side of his head, closing her eyes. "What are you doing?" Damon asked. She opened her eyes with annoyance.

"You're looking for a moonstone. I'm trying to help you find it." Her eyes snapped shut again.

"Oh good, yeah," Damon said, beginning to tie Mason down to the chair using the chains, "Find out if he gave it to Katherine, and find out where she is. And find out what they're gonna do with it once they get it." The more he thought about it, the more he didn't buy the idea that Katherine was going to break the curse. That would endanger her, nothing else. There had to be some other reason she wanted it but he couldn't fathom what it might be.

"Somewhere small," Bonnie said, her voice low with concentration, "Dark. There's water."

"Like a sewer?" Damon suggested.

"No," She replied decisively, "A well? That can't be right… Yeah. It's a well." She opened her eyes and released Mason, looking as bemused as Damon felt.

"Why would it be in a well?" He wanted to know. It seemed ridiculous, like something out of a fairytale. Who hid things down a well?

"I told you, I only get what I get," Bonnie shrugged. At that moment, Mason grunted and thrashed, seizing the nearest thing he could find- Bonnie's wrist. She gasped, but Damon peeled Mason's hand away from her. "That's it, that's all I got." Bonnie was walking away, her part of the bargain fulfilled. Damon suddenly realised he didn't want her to go. How could he trust himself to keep his promise to Elena if somebody wasn't there to stop him, to remind him?

"Hey, judgey?" He called. Bonnie stopped and turned back to him reluctantly. He hesitated. Bonnie Bennett was no friend to him. "Thanks."

* * *

Elena felt sick with worry at this point, but there was nothing she could do. She had no idea what was going on. She was fighting the urge to hurl all the boxes of stupid costumes and masks all over the place and run, try to find Damon, try to figure out what was happening. But, she controlled herself. Matt joined her efforts eventually, and she realised how long it'd been since she'd really spoken to him.  
"So," Matt said in a falsely cheerful voice, "Where's Caroline? This is like her thing. I can't believe she's not here."

"She had something else to do," Elena replied, feeling desperately sorry for him being kept in the dark. But, it was for the best. Matt continued sorting through the boxes for a minute but then he seemed to give up trying to seem casual.

"Is she seeing someone?" He blurted out.

"Matt, come on," Elena said sadly. Caroline was crazy about him, he had to know that. "No, she's not." Over Matt's shoulder she saw Stefan enter the house, carrying a box of masks. At the same time, Tyler entered the room.

"Anyone seen Mason?" He asked.

"He, uh, he took off," Stefan replied, "He said he wasn't sure when he'd be back." Elena felt her stomach twist nervously at that. She was hoping that Damon wouldn't hurt him too badly. She definitely didn't want him dead… Damon hadn't quite said he wasn't going to kill Mason.

"So weird," Tyler muttered, departing again. Elena met Stefan's gaze but he shook his head at her and walked away; they couldn't talk about it here. Frustrated and desperate to know what was going on, Elena slammed down the masks she was supposed to be sorting. She couldn't wait any longer.

"I'll be right back," She told Matt, before taking off out of the house as fast as she could after Stefan. When she got outside she could see him heading off into the trees, towards where the old Lockwood property had been. She and her friends had spent a lot of time as children playing around there, it being large enough to feel like they were in a world of their own. Stefan didn't stop until he had reached the old well. He paused and looked down into it. Elena was out of breath when she caught up to him.

"Stefan," She panted, "What's going on?"

"Bonnie thinks the moonstone is down there," He replied, gazing down into the dark depths. They were blocked off by iron gating, which was padlocked tightly shut. Stefan reached over and broke the lock in his hand, pulling the grating off. He then pulled a flashlight out of his pocket, switching it on. He handed it to Elena, who took it worriedly as he jumped up onto the stone side of the well.

"Be careful," Elena said. She knew he couldn't really drown but it was still a scary thought, jumping down that well.

"I'll only be down there for a minute," He promised, before leaping into the depths. After a pause, she heard the splash as he hit the water at the bottom. Elena felt a moment of relief before it vanished, as Stefan yelled out in pain. "Elena!" He yelled.

"Stefan?" She cried back, frightened, as she leant over the well to try and see him.

Elena!" He cried out again, sounding like he was in immense pain.

"Stefan, what's going on?" She called.

"Vervain! Oh God, help!" Elena looked helplessly around. The heavy chain of the well was lying on the ground and she hurried to it, trying to lift it, but it was ridiculously heavy and she could hardly budge it because of the rust.

"Stefan!" She shouted, panicking. The air suddenly billowed around her and Caroline was in front of her. Elena had never been more glad to see her in her life.

"Elena!" The blonde exclaimed.

"Caroline, Stefan's down there and the chain is rusted!" She managed to gasp out. Instantly, Caroline was climbing the side of the well. Elena grabbed her. "No! No, no, no! You can't, it's filled with vervain. Caroline we've got to get him out now!" Her words were garbled in her anxiety but Caroline understood immediately. She vamped over to the chain and lifted it easily. Elena climbed up on the edge of the well, realising what she was going to have to do. She gulped, trying not to look down too much as Caroline handed her a length of the chain. Elena wrapped it firmly around her waist, securing it by hooking the end of it through one of the links.

"I got you, okay?" Caroline promised sincerely. Elena nodded, not feeling so sure. She had avoided watery situations ever since the accident. She glanced down just as Bonnie came running out of the trees.

"What's going on?" Bonnie demanded. "You took off in a blur!" Any other time, Elena would have been glad to see the two friends talking again, but right now her mind was too blurred with the thought of Stefan being trapped down the well.

"I heard Elena screaming. Help her, now!" Caroline added. Bonnie stepped up to the well and offered Elena a hand, helping to lower her into the well. "Are you ready?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," Elena said. It felt like a lie, but she had no choice but to pretend otherwise. Caroline began lowering her down into the well. Elena was watching the wall of the well grow darker around her when she felt herself slide a few feet very quickly. With a jerk, her motion was quickly stilled.

"Sorry!" Caroline called.

"It's okay, just keep going," Elena replied, not wanting to waste time and lose her nerve. Caroline complied and lowered her into the well. When she reached the bottom she found Stefan slumped in the water, unconscious due to the vervain. Her feet in the water, Elena unhooked the chain and wrapped it around Stefan instead. Her heart was beating very fast. "Pull him up!" She called to the top of the well. She switched her flashlight on as Stefan disappeared up to the light.

"Elena? Ready for you!" Caroline called.

"Hold on! I need to find the stone!" The water was murky and the cracks in the stone of the well yielded nothing. She plunged her hands into the cold water, feeling around.

"Hurry!" Caroline's voice urged.

"Hold on! I think I found it!" She pulled a wooden box from the water. Looking around for the chain, she didn't see the snake until it latched itself around her arm. Screaming, she threw it off, dropping the flashlight as she did so. But by the time she had managed to back against the wall of the well, a second snake had wrapped itself around her arm. She threw this one off too and groped for the chain, tying herself into it again.

"Elena, what's going on?" Caroline sounded worried.

"I got it! Come on, bring me up!" Her nerves couldn't take any more critters, that was for sure. Bonnie pulled her into the side of the well once she reached the top, and Elena jumped down. Stefan was unconscious nearby and showing no signs of waking. Thinking quickly, she spotted a jagged rock nearby and sliced her hand open on it. Caroline backed away. Elena ignored this and placed her hand to Stefan's lips. Sensing the blood, he opened his eyes and drank from her.

* * *

Mason Lockwood didn't look so good as he sat in front of Damon, tortured half unconscious all over again. Damon hadn't inflicted any kind of pain on anyone for so long that he found himself enjoying it, giving himself over to his natural vampire instincts to hurt and kill. The arrival of Jeremy had been both a curse and a blessed relief. He'd been finding it harder to resist just killing Mason the longer he was left alone with him.

"I know where the stone is," Damon was telling the werewolf, "I want to know what it does and why you want it." His questions had largely gone unanswered thus far.

"I'm getting it for Katherine," Mason told him, "She's gonna use it to lift the curse."

"Of the moon?" Damon clarified, "Now why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?" Mason met his gaze.

"So I won't have to turn anymore." Now, he had to admit he hadn't been expecting that answer. Damon hadn't given much thought to the actual transformation from man to wolf, but he supposed it was no picnic. Even turning into a vampire wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, but you only had to go through that once. Still, he had to ask why Katherine would involve herself in that. "Because she loves me," came Mason's answer. Damon had a good laugh at that one- he'd certainly heard it before. Heck, _he'd_ said those very same words.

" _Now_ I get it," Damon said, "You're just stupid. Katherine doesn't _love_ you, she's using you, moron!" Mason shook his head.

"I'm done talking." Damon couldn't agree more.

"Yes you are," Damon threw the wolfsbane he'd procured (and discovered to have a similar effect to that which vervain had on vampires) at Jeremy, who caught it, "It's time to take a walk, Jeremy." What was he saying? Damon knew he was screwing up. If Jeremy went, he'd kill Mason. He knew this. And he also knew that Elena would be angry with him… worse than angry. She had asked him not to do this. So why was he sending Jeremy away?

"I'm staying," Jeremy told him.

"No, you should go." But Mason had served his purpose now, and he had proven to be useless. He obviously had no idea what Katherine was really like and was as blind as Damon had been for 145 years. Katherine always had an ulterior motive.

"I'm staying, Damon. He's had enough." Jeremy was right. What Damon had done was already cruel enough. _Don't punish him for being Katherine's victim,_ those were Elena's words. But, if their positions were reversed, Mason would definitely kill Damon, no question about it.

"Just help Tyler," Mason said to Jeremy, "Don't let this happen to him."

"Damon…" Jeremy sighed, looking very reluctant. Damon moved his gaze from Mason to Jeremy.

"Jeremy, I'm kind of in a position where I don't have a choice. It's kill or be killed." His voice was low, even, but honest. He knew what was going to happen now. And he knew what the consequences might be. Elena would probably hate him, but there was nothing he could do about that. Mason Lockwood was one of Katherine's tools, a tool who would kill him given half a chance. And Damon… he was skewed by his own nature. Jeremy got up from his seat, giving Damon one last disgusted look before leaving the two alone. Mason was watching him.

"Katherine would kill you eventually, you know," Damon informed him, "Really I'm doing you a favour."

"You don't understand," Mason insisted.

"Oh, I do. I look at you and I see myself- a less dashing, less intelligent version." This was true, though he admittedly didn't have to be so insulting about it. Damon knew better than anyone what it meant to love Katherine Pierce.

"I love her!" And there it was, the three fated words.

"I've been where you are," Damon agreed mildly, "Katherine will only rip your heart out. Let me do it for her," He said, meeting Mason's eyes. He felt his fist punch through the muscle of Mason's chest, blood running over his hand as it closed around Mason's heart. Mason moaned in pain and Damon dragged his hand back out, Mason's heart clutched in his hand. He watched the life leave the werewolf's eyes and his head sink down to his chest. He was dead.

* * *

Elena was pleasantly surprised to find Alaric hanging out with Jenna when she got home. It was always good, for her, to have somebody else who was human who knew what was going on. After changing out of her wet clothes, she headed back downstairs.  
"Where is Jeremy?" She asked, not having seen her brother since he stormed away from her at the Lockwood's.

"He went straight up to his room," Alaric replied, "He said he wasn't hungry." Elena nodded, picking up some plates and beginning to lay places at the table. Jenna was on the phone to somebody.

"Who is she talking to?" Elena wondered.

"I don't know. Everything go okay today?" Ric asked this in a somewhat quieter voice.

"There were a few hiccups, but yeah." Stefan had recovered quickly enough after having some of her blood and had headed home to see how Damon's interrogation of Mason had gone. Elena was fearing the worst, though she felt like she'd rather not know if she could avoid it.

"Elena, it's for you," Jenna told her cheerfully, holding out the phone. Jenna shrugged. Elena took the phone.

"Hello?" She said questioningly, wondering who would call her at home.

"Hello Elena." Elena's heart thudded to a stop. She may have heard it only once before, but she would know that voice from anywhere. She looked up at Ric, who frowned quizzically at her, but Elena couldn't talk with Jenna in the room, so she exited.

"Katherine," She spoke the name with dislike.

"You've had quite the busy day today, haven't you? I wonder how your boy toy is doing. You know I will always be one step ahead of you, Elena. When are you gonna figure that out? Do you know how easy it was to get inside of your house? To replace Aunt Jenna's vervain perfume, to convince her to stop drinking her special tea?" Elena looked back across the living room to the kitchen, where Jenna was. Alaric was waving his hands at her, trying to find out what was going on, but Elena couldn't say anything.

"No," Elena gasped.

"Jenna's been my little spy for days now. But unlike you, she listens to me. So when I suggested the world would be a much better place if she just…" Jenna raised a knife suddenly, pointing it inwards towards herself.

"JENNA, NO!" Elena screamed, dropping the phone. But Jenna plunged the knife into her stomach. A roaring in her ears, Elena and Alaric pelted across the room to Jenna, who had fallen to the floor, the knife in her stomach. It was like John all over again, the night Katherine had chopped off his fingers. Blood was pouring everywhere and Alaric was panicking.

Somehow, Elena called an ambulance.

Hours later, after Jenna had been given the all-clear and Elena had had quite enough of the hospital, she got into her car and drove over to the Salvatore Boarding House. She had messaged both Stefan and Damon, but the latter hadn't gotten back to her, which was strange. She found him, though, in his bedroom. He was stood looking out of the window.

"I saw you arrive," He said, without turning around. Elena closed the door behind herself.

"Katherine knew what we were doing," Elena said.

"I'm sorry, Elena," Damon told her, but he still wouldn't look at her. Elena touched his arm but he didn't react.

"Damon, what's going on? What...?"

"I riled Katherine up, Elena. It's my fault. I killed Mason, even though you asked me not to." She had known what was coming. She'd even expected it. And yet, all she felt was dead inside. He had killed Mason for no reason other than because he was under Katherine's thumb, no different than Damon had been up until very recently.

"Well, she won," Elena said blankly. "People keep getting hurt because we think we can fool her, we think we can beat her. But we can't." She headed for the door but Damon reached it before her, blocking her path. His eyes were beseeching.

"Elena, please, try to understand… _he_ would have killed me. And I… I just couldn't help it. It's my natural instinct to kill, Elena, and I hated him." Elena looked up at him, her heart breaking. She didn't know what she wanted now. Part of her wished that she could just hold onto him; Damon always made her feel safest, especially where Katherine was concerned, but he had killed somebody who didn't deserve it. Somebody who, from the beginning, had actually tried to keep things friendly and civil. Damon had murdered him.

"I can't understand that, Damon." He let her go after that.

* * *

 **A/N: Second chapter in one night! I wanted to break up the events of this chapter and the last for obvious reasons. Anyway, I really hope I managed to convey the struggle Damon had with his vampire instincts and relationship ones, and that you don't hate me for still killing Mason! I also hope you don't mind a little trouble in paradise :( please let me know, either way!**


	49. Masquerading

**Chapter Forty-Nine: Masquerading**

' _ **We have a problem',**_ the message from Caroline read. Damon knew that Caroline of all people wouldn't be messaging him unless it was serious, and so he called her. She took a few rings to pick up his call.

"What happened?" He asked immediately, without any further ado.

"I saw Katherine at the Grill," Caroline replied.

" _What_?" This news was most unwelcome. He'd hoped that after the surprise of him killing Mason, and Katherine exacting her revenge by having Jenna stab herself, that they'd have at least a few more days peace before the next inevitable move, but apparently not. If Katherine was appearing openly in Mystic Falls it could only mean more trouble.

"She was posing as Elena but I knew it wasn't her because I'd just spoken to her. I tried to get away and she grabbed me and told me she had a message," Caroline explained.

"And?" Damon snapped.

"She told me to tell you and Stefan that she wants the moonstone and if she doesn't get it, and this is an exact quote, she will _rip this town apart until it rains blood_ tonight at the masquerade ball." Damon had been slouching in an armchair but he sat bolt upright at this.

"Get over here now," He ordered Caroline in a hiss, leaping up to go and find Stefan.

"Duh, I'm already on my way," She said, ending the call. By the time he had dragged Stefan out of his room and down the stairs, Caroline had entered the house. Stefan was equally rocked by Katherine's threat.

"She wants to do it in public," He said, "Killing Mason threw her off guard." Damon shook his head at that theory; she must have been prepared for that eventuality or she wouldn't have already compelled Jenna, even if the actual plan seemed rash.

"She's running scared. What she did to Jenna was desperate- she's out of tricks." Why else would Katherine choose the battle arena to be in a place so full of people? She didn't know what else to do and could no longer hide in the shadows.

"We can't underestimate her," Stefan insisted, "We have to play this smarter than her." Caroline had followed their exchange like a tennis match, turning her head as each brother spoke, but now she spoke up.

"Can't we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?"

"No," Snapped Damon furiously, surprising himself with his own forcefulness, "Katherine's not getting dick. I've had it. I'm going to the masquerade ball tonight and I'm going to kill her." That had to be one death that Elena wouldn't object to anyway- Damon pushed the thoughts of Elena out of his head. He had been trying not to recall her expression as she had walked away from him, looking disappointed. _Disappointed_ \- angry he could deal with, but not that.

"You're not gonna kill her," Stefan said. Damon rounded on his brother.

"Don't give me that goody-goody crap," He began.

"You're not gonna kill her," Stefan repeated, more firmly.

"Really?" Damon pulled a face.

"Because I am." Caroline looked just as surprised as Damon to hear this, but Damon was pleased. Stefan had been sipping a little human blood everyday and he was stronger now- exactly what they needed to take down Katherine. And he was angry enough to do it alone too, if the right opportunity came their way. And to ensure that happened, Damon realised, he'd have to call in the cavalry for this one. Tonight, he was determined, was going to be Katherine's final dance.

Alaric was the first to arrive. He seemed more than happy to help them rid the town of a very dangerous and altogether too clever vampire, especially after what had happened to Jenna. He brought all his weapons with him to teach them all how to fight with them.  
"Thanks for this," Damon said in a low voice. Alaric looked at him.

"I kind of got the impression things didn't go so great the other night," He murmured. Damon glanced toward Stefan and Caroline, who could hear. Alaric understood and changed the subject: "After that stunt Katherine pulled with Jenna there is no way I'm letting her walk away with her life." Damon nodded just as Caroline opened the door to Bonnie Bennett, who was clutching Emily's grimoire.

"I got Stefan's message," She announced.

"Hey you brought the grimoire- thank you," Stefan added. Bonnie came further into the room and noticed all the weapons laid out on the table. She frowned.

"What's going on?" She asked, as Jeremy entered. The younger Gilbert had actually contacted Damon himself, saying that he didn't care what Elena told him about doing what Katherine wanted to stay safe- he was determined to stop her and couldn't be talked out of it.

"We're gonna kill Katherine," Jeremy himself filled Bonnie in. She looked from him to Caroline to Alaric, evidently confused.

"I can explain," Stefan stepped in.

"Please." Damon watched as Alaric went through various different weapons he'd made and acquired to kill a vampire. It was a little discomforting to see somebody demonstrate exactly how he might be killed, Damon noted. Stefan slid a compressed air mechanism up his sleeve which would release a stake. As time passed on and they discussed the best way of cornering Katherine in a room full of people, Damon found himself detaching from the group, his mind elsewhere. He'd thought about calling Elena to fill her in but judging by what Jeremy had said, she'd given up and besides, she wouldn't answer the phone to him anyway. He'd tried.

Bonnie, surprisingly, came up to him as Ric was going through his instructions.  
"Are you okay?" She asked him, completely shocking him.

"What do you care?" He replied, but it was more of a reflex reaction than anything, "I just want the bitch dead."

"What about the Elena stuff? She told me what happened," Damon looked down at the witch.

"Yeah and I guess you told her that I was bound to murder somebody in the end because I'm a vampire and that's all we're good for," He taunted. Bonnie glared up at him stoically.

"Actually I told her that I believe you do love her but that it's probably for the best because being with you is too risky," Bonnie informed him. Damon actually gaped at her for a few seconds. It might have been backhanded, but Bonnie Bennett had almost sort of just paid him a compliment.

"It's not just about Elena," He told her finally, "Everything Katherine has ever done… and, by the way, what she did to Jenna was the final straw… she has to be stopped, or it's going to happen again." Bonnie raised an eyebrow, looking like she was the one who was surprised this time.

"I thought you just wanted Katherine dead because of what she did to you."

"Well, that is a pretty big deciding factor. It's for the good of men everywhere- she chews us up and spits us out. It should be me who does the spitting." Bonnie cocked her head to the side then, not saying anything, looking as if she was trying to decide something. "We're gonna have the edge because she won't expect Stefan to do anything somewhere public. That's not his style and she'll be caught off guard," Damon said.

"Alright," Bonnie said finally, straightening up, "I'll do a spell to trap her into one area, like in the tomb. You guys do your thing." She turned on her heel and stalked away from him then, returning to the others. Damon headed to the opposite side of the room to pour himself a bourbon. He was trying very hard not to care- that he had killed Mason, that he seemed to have lost Elena… but one thing about Mason Lockwood had registered with him, and that was something he had alluded to with Bonnie: Katherine had manipulated him to get what she wanted, just as she had done with Damon years ago. The only things that had changed were the things she wanted: now it was the moonstone, but in 1864 it had been Stefan.

The group returned to congregate in the living room a little while later, the creases in the plan having been ironed out.  
"Are you sure you guys don't want me there tonight?" Alaric asked, looking around at them all.

"No, you need to stay with Elena," Stefan told him, "I, uh, don't think she needs to know about this." He cast a sideways look at Damon, who pretended not to notice.

"I'll make sure she doesn't leave my sight," Alaric promised, giving Damon a similar look to the one Stefan had just given him, but again Damon ignored it.

"If anybody wants to back out, I'll understand," Stefan called.

"Yeah. Cold feet speak now," Damon agreed, "I don't want this going wrong if anyone chickens out… _Caroline_." The blonde pulled a face at him.

"I won't," She insisted, "Look, she killed me. Fair's fair. As long as there's no werewolf running around…"

"I took care of Mason," Damon promised, and he saw Bonnie wince out of the corner of his eye. Jeremy also grimaced in his direction. He wondered how long it'd be until he finally snapped at one of them for keep looking at him accusingly. He didn't care about Mason Lockwood's life, he never had. He'd hated the guy.

"As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone he won't turn," Jeremy added, for the benefit of Caroline, who looked more reassured.

"Bonnie?" Stefan asked, looking at the witch, "Are you with us?" Damon looked over at her and he saw her eyes flicker towards him too, just for a moment, but then she looked to Stefan, her face set.

"As long as nobody but Katherine gets hurt."

All that was left to do was to get ready for the masquerade ball. Damon had originally planned to attend this with Elena, of course, but given what'd happened he had assumed he wouldn't be attending at all. If they weren't going there to kill Katherine he definitely wouldn't show up. He was almost tempted to go and hunt fresh blood straight from the vein, a nice active hunt to keep his mind off things. But, this plan was better- it would satisfy him for much longer if they succeeded.

Once he was suited up, Damon hesitated and checked his cell phone. He missed the sound of Elena's voice. It'd been so long since he'd gone more than a few hours without speaking to her… He shook himself. He couldn't afford to be sentimental right now.  
"You ready?" Stefan asked, coming to the door. Damon nodded and he followed his brother out to the car.

When they arrived at the Lockwood's, the ball was in full swing. Everybody looked very glamorous, dressed up with masks on. He and Stefan hovered out by the door, scanning the crowd.  
"Do you see her?" Damon asked his brother, trying to catch a glimpse of long dark hair somewhere.

"Nope," Stefan replied, "You're sure you can do this?" Damon looked around at him.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated," Stefan reminded him. Damon scoffed.

"Well that is the fork in the road between you and me, my friend: _I don't hesitate_." As far as Damon was concerned, they'd have a harder job making him hold back so that he didn't simply stake Katherine on sight in front of everybody at the party and ruin the plan. Stefan still looked slightly doubtful, though.

"You spent a hundred and forty-five years loving her, it could happen," He told Damon.

"And _she_ spent a hundred and forty-five years allowing me to believe she was just the other side of the door, waiting for me to come for her so that we could be together forever. Trust me, brother- I'm not going to hesitate." Stefan nodded, seeming to accept this sound reasoning. Certifying that Katherine wasn't outside, Damon and Stefan entered the building. Most people inside were drunk or on their way there. As they crossed the hallway, Damon saw Bonnie and Jeremy sneaking outside to choose the room that Bonnie would be spelling to trap Katherine inside.

"We should split up," Stefan muttered, and Damon agreed.

He headed into one of the main rooms and procured himself a drink. He was trying to keep an eye out for Katherine in the process so he didn't realise until too late that he walked right into Matt Donovan.  
"Watch it!" Damon snapped. Matt blinked.

"Damon? Sorry, man, I wasn't looking where I was going. Have you seen Tyler?" The quarterback seemed very distracted.

"No," Damon replied, "Have you, uh, seen Elena?"

"Yeah, earlier. She said she wasn't gonna come tonight but she changed her mind," Matt replied, looking around, obviously still more focused on finding Tyler. Damon frowned: so Katherine was definitely already here. Ric wasn't letting Elena anywhere near this party.

"Alright," Damon said, "Thanks." Matt made his departure but before he had gone more than a few steps, Damon was shooting across the room again and back outside. Stefan was nowhere to be seen for a few minutes, but he reappeared looking grim. Annoyed, Damon grabbed Stefan and dragged him to an empty room. "What happened?"

"She told me to give her the moonstone, I said she'd have to come with me to get it, she refused and then she snapped this girl's spine. She paralysed her and then she killed her," Stefan told him, looking a little traumatised. "I put her body in the trunk for now."

"We'll dump her when we get back," Damon said, thinking hard.

"This is exactly what I didn't want, Damon," Stefan told him, looking angry.

"Stefan, it's collateral damage." His brother had never been quite able to shake his conscience at crucial moments. But the girl's death was not their fault; that was down to Katherine.

"We need to call this off," Stefan stated. Damon reacted with fury. There was no way he was allowing his brother to quit on this plan, not now. They had Katherine where they wanted her, and Damon was not about to let her walk away for nothing.

"That woman ruined our lives and now _you're_ the one hesitating! Stefan, we can do this, we just have to stick together, okay?" He asked, grabbing Stefan by the shoulder and shaking him. They couldn't afford to stop now. Stefan paused for a moment, weighing his options, but then he nodded.

"Alright," He agreed, convinced for now.

Damon headed outside and was fortunate enough to spot Katherine walking. She was getting better at her Elena impression, he had to admit. Seeing her face gave him a pang which he didn't wish to feel. He could be single minded about this plan while he was obsessing with killing Katherine but when he had to look at her, he also saw Elena and when he saw Elena, he was forced to feel; and he didn't want to feel right then. Looking away, he instead pulled out his phone and texted Jeremy: _**'Now'.**_

After that it was just a matter of waiting. He and Stefan headed up to the room that Bonnie had cast the spell on, while Jeremy went out to lure Katherine back in.  
"This is it," Damon told his brother.

"Let's not start celebrating too soon," Stefan grimaced. Damon rolled his eyes. A few minutes later he heard Caroline on the stairs, doing a pretty good impression of sobbing. Taking this as their cue, Stefan and Damon hid. Stefan went behind the door and Damon shut himself in the closet, the compressed air weapon ready and loaded. Caroline's sobs came louder as Katherine demanded to know which room Bonnie had the moonstone in. A moment later and the door burst open. Damon couldn't help but smirk with a little pride when Caroline's crying turned into laughter.

"I really didn't think I'd be able to fool you but I did it!" The blonde said, sounding a little surprised but very pleased with herself. She had carried off her part of the plan to perfection.

"What the-? Stefan?" Katherine murmured, and Damon gathered she'd realised she couldn't leave the room. He readied himself.

"Hello, Katherine," Stefan said.

"Goodbye, Katherine," Caroline added, and then Damon heard her leave.

"You don't _really_ think you can kill me with that, do you?" Katherine sneered.

"No," Stefan replied mildly, "But _he_ can." Damon stepped into the room, the first stake already fired before Katherine had time to react. It went into her back, causing her to cry out in pain and stumble forward. Stefan rushed forward, catching her and driving another stake through her arm as he did so. Katherine cried out again and Damon felt a perverse rush of pleasure at the sound of her pain. He had enjoyed hurting Mason Lockwood but not like this; that had been sport to him but _this_ was revenge. Katherine, of course, wasn't going down without a fight. She ripped out the stake from her arm and turned around to Damon, ready to use it on him. Stefan seized her from behind and they both fell to the floor, Katherine caught in a chokehold which she couldn't break free of.

One hundred and forty five years of pain were going to come to an end, but they had to do it quickly. Damon raised the stake, wanting to remember every little bit of this moment. He was about to do it when Jeremy burst into the room.  
"Stop!" He yelled, "You're hurting Elena! Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena!" Damon froze, stunned. He looked down at Katherine, who was smirking. Stefan let go of her quickly, looking just as shocked.

"You think you two are the only ones with a witch on your side? Wrong. And something tells me my witch is better than your witch," Katherine smiled. Damon looked from Stefan to Jeremy. He had never hated Katherine more than in that moment. How was she always one step ahead of them, no matter how well thought-out their plan was? She snatched the stake out of Damon's hand. He couldn't move.

The situation did not improve. None of them could leave the room until Bonnie lifted the spell she'd placed on it to trap Katherine. Damon was seething, and Katherine did nothing but antagonise him. Her wounds healed of course, but all he could think about was Elena. Was she okay? Why had she come to the party? Of course, she would have realised something was up given that everybody was under strict instructions not to tell her anything about the plan for the night. Jeremy had the Gilbert ring, but Elena wasn't safe around Katherine.

After quite some time, something seemed to occur to Stefan.  
"When you struck a deal with George Lockwood to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something that he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?" Damon looked at Katherine, who was draped across the sofa like a queen on her throne.

"Good for you, Stefan," She told him warmly, "Two plus two… And it would have worked except that people found out I wasn't in the tomb," She glared at Damon, "Thanks to you, by the way. Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?"

"You and me both, honey," He assured her dryly.

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan asked her. Katherine smirked again.

"I love you in a suit," She said, combing him with her eyes, "So dashing." Damon was reminded vividly of bygone days when he and his brother would clamour for such a compliment from 'Miss Katherine'- now it just made him feel sick.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" Stefan continued to question.

"You're wasting your breath," Damon informed his brother.

"… Unless it wasn't yours to begin with," Stefan ignored him, "In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?" Damon looked around at them, his interest piqued. He had never really given it serious thought as to how Katherine might have ended up with the stone in the first place. He'd been more concerned with what she planned to do with it in the here and now. But Stefan was right, that part didn't add up. You didn't come across random artefacts used to create ancient curses everyday, even if you were as sly as Katherine Pierce.

Damon sighed when Katherine, as predicted, didn't answer the question. It took everything in him not to simply grab her and stake her and end it all now, but he didn't want Elena hurt. Instead, he leaned over her where she was sitting so that he was right in her face.  
"The second the spell is lifted I'm gonna drive a stake right through your heart." Katherine looked right back at him and smiled, lifting a finger to trace along his jaw.

"When did you get so hot?" She purred. Damon was about to retort when somebody new entered the room, a dark skinned woman. Damon deduced that she was the witch Katherine was working with, and she was holding a smooth, white stone- the moonstone.

"Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken, you're free to leave," The witch said.

"Thank. God." Katherine said, standing up. The witch approached her, the moonstone outstretched in her hand. Damon felt a rumble of rage.

"When I hand this over my debt to you is over," The witch informed Katherine, appearing to be choosing her words carefully.

"Done," Katherine shrugged, eyes on the moonstone.

"I owe you nothing," The witch added.

"I said done. Give it," Katherine snapped, making a grab for it. Damon took a step forward, trying to prevent it, but it was too late. The witch handed Katherine the stone. Only, as soon as Katherine's hand closed around it, something strange happened. She spluttered and gasped, unable to breathe. The witch glared at her.

"You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that."

"No- Elena-" Damon said, panicking.

"Elena's fine," The witch told him as Katherine fell to the floor, "The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly. Bonnie's with her." She finally tore her eyes away from Katherine, who was still choking, and looked toward the two Salvatore brothers apologetically: "I apologise for my involvement." Katherine lost consciousness as Damon flew out of the room. He _had_ to find Elena. He had to find her and make sure she was really okay.

* * *

 **A/N: So this may have seemed longwinded due to the fact it's 100% Damon, but I wanted to show his single-mindedness while he tries not to think about the situation with Elena. Thanks for bearing with it! And a special thanks to Klxroline-dreams, 4evrMrsAcklesLavineO'Donoghue and a-and-afan413 for your reviews, as well as all the rest of the usual suspects!**


	50. Binding and Breaking

**Chapter Fifty: Binding and Breaking**

The pain was gone thanks to Bonnie's spell work and the wounds were healing, but Elena still felt damaged. She was angry that everybody had kept this plan from her and she was sickened that Katherine had chosen such a public place full of her friends as the battle arena. And here she was, collateral damage in the conflict, having been linked to Katherine by the other witch, Lucy. She was stood, thinking about all of this, when Damon entered. It was the first time she'd seen or heard from him since she walked away the night he told her what he'd done to Mason. He didn't seem himself, even in the way he was standing, almost like he was scared. Elena had never seen Damon afraid.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, with sincere concern. Elena felt a pang in her chest.

"I'm fine," She told him, not able to meet his eyes, "I'm healing and the pain's gone..."

"You should have some blood," Damon told her, "You know, vampire blood, just to make sure. Get some from Caroline or something."

"I'll see a doctor," Elena replied. He nodded. "Is Katherine really gone?" She only asked this question after a moment's thought.

"I don't know. It seems that way," Damon answered. Elena finally looked around at him. She wasn't sure what to say now that it was all over. Part of her wanted him to hold her the way he usually did. Damon had always made her feel safe, probably because he was the most dangerous out of everybody she'd met barring Katherine. But she was still upset that he had killed Mason.

"I'm sorry," She said, "I… I want to tell you that everything is okay and… I want to be with you, Damon. I'm looking at you now and I…" She trailed off.

"Elena, you don't have to explain," He told her heavily, "But you know who I am- you know _what_ I am. I'm the one who told you." Elena nodded, understanding- she knew he was a vampire and she knew that he could be cruel and ruthless. He had been honest with her for a long time, and with that she had always known exactly what she was getting into. She supposed she had no real right to be angry, but the whole thing just seemed unfair.

"Just… give me some time, Damon. Please," She begged. He moved quickly then and suddenly he was right in front of her. Elena turned away from him but he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stay facing him. She looked up into his eyes and he was glaring at her with such intensity that she didn't need his strength to trap her where she was stood.

"We're putting Katherine in the tomb," He told her in a low voice, "Where she belongs. Elena, I did it for you okay? I didn't do it for me or Stefan or anybody else Katherine hurt, I did it for you. Just remember that while you have your time." Swallowing, Elena nodded. He stared at her for a minute longer, his eyes moving longingly to her lips. Elena wished she could kiss him too, but she knew that it was a mistake.

"Okay," She managed to say, and Damon vamped away, leaving nothing but a whisper of air behind.

She tested her wounds but they did seem to be healing, though not as quickly as vampire blood could have done the job. She considered Damon's suggestion of asking Caroline for help rather than going to a doctor; these wounds would be hard to explain. Sighing, she made her way out of the Lockwood mansion, through what remained of the party. As she headed across the parking lot, her phone began to ring. Seeing that it was Jeremy, Elena picked up.

"Hey," She greeted him dully.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… well, I'm getting there," She replied.

"Do you have your car? I was going to take Bonnie home," Jeremy added.

"Yeah, Jeremy, I've got my car. Tell Bonnie that whatever she did, I'm starting to feel better," She told him.

"As long as you're sure you'll be alright?" She nodded, mere feet from her car now, but then realised that he couldn't see that.

"Yeah, of course I am. I just need a good night's sleep now," She reassured him. He murmured his concession and they hung up the call. Elena had hardly taken her phone away from her ear when it happened. Something grabbed her from behind. She tried to scream, but whoever it was clapped a hand over her mouth. She felt a strange pain in her head and then everything went black.

* * *

' _ **We have another problem'.**_ Another day, another worrying text message from Caroline. Morning had arrived as miserable as the night before, and Damon was not best pleased to be distracted with yet another 'problem', but as he'd been on his way out to head to the blood bank, he jumped in his car and went directly over to the Forbes' residence. The Sheriff was already at work, doing the early shift, and Caroline let him in.

"Tyler killed Sarah," She informed him.

"What?" 'Problem' had been an understatement. They'd only just gotten rid of one werewolf in Mystic Falls, but now they seemed to have another one. "What the hell happened?"

"Matt was acting strange at the party last night, kept trying to pick a fight with Tyler, and then out of nowhere Sarah started on him too. She attacked Tyler, he pushed her away and she tripped and fell and hit her head," Caroline explained, "It was an accident." Damon had missed this turn of events at the party, having been too preoccupied with stowing Katherine in the tomb beneath Fell's Church.

"Does Matt remember anything?" Damon asked.

"He thinks he blacked out but I think they were both compelled by Katherine," This certainly made sense. Katherine had been so keen to get hold of the moonstone that she had tracked down Mason Lockwood. When Damon had killed Mason it must have messed with Katherine's plans somehow, and she'd decided instead to try and force the change on Tyler by compelling Matt and the girl, Sarah, to pick fights with him. "I covered for Tyler and told them it was an accident," Caroline continued, "But it really wasn't his fault."

"I don't understand that," Damon admitted, "The guy's a tool."

"Tyler getting blamed for Sarah's death just opens up questions that he can't answer, and do you really think it's a good idea for him to tell his mom he's a werewolf?"

"Well, no," Damon conceded.

"And that Werewolf Road leads straight to Vampire Boulevard." She certainly wasn't wrong about that, Damon mused. But now what were they going to do when the full moon came and a werewolf was running about town?

"So did you actually see his eyes turn yellow?" Caroline was now walking out of the room, getting ready for school, and Damon followed her. She hardly seemed to be listening to him. She glanced over her shoulder at his question.

"They were more gold with amber highlights," Damon couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but his patience was running low. He needed to find out how much Tyler knew about vampires, given that Caroline had given her strength away by intervening in the fight between Tyler and Matt. "Hey, can he turn into a wolf now?" She asked curiously.

"Only on a full moon but now he has increased strength and God knows what else. I wonder how much Mason told him," He pondered. "Does he know about us?" Caroline ignored him, texting on her phone. It took all his self-control not to throw her across the room. "Hey!" He snapped, "What did you tell him?" She looked around at him as if only just noticing he was there.

"I don't think he knows much of anything, Damon. He seemed really freaked out and honestly, I felt kind of bad for him," She said honestly. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading for the door.

"He's got to know something," He hoped Mason had at least taught him to chain himself up properly for full moon's.

"Alright, I'll ask him," Caroline sighed, but furiously, Damon grabbed her. They had no idea how dangerous a clueless werewolf might be.

"Caroline, he _cannot_ know about us! A bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire so don't be his friend! Do you understand me?" When she was human, Caroline might have cowered from Damon's display of temper but as a vampire, she simply rolled her eyes right in his face, forcing him to relinquish his grip.

" _Fine_. I'm late for school," She added boredly.

"Right," He said, following her out, "And I know your mom is still looking for Aimee Bradley's body so if you want to drop the hint that her body is at the bottom of a ravine with a cracked spine it'd save her some time." She pulled a face at him as she got into her car and drove off for school. Caroline didn't seem worried about Tyler at all, but Damon was concerned. As she had said, if the town got hint that werewolves existed, they'd look to the supernatural creatures they were already familiar with for guidelines: vampires.

Damon got into his car and continued his drive to the blood bank just outside of town. His supply was depleted massively what with sharing it with Stefan and Caroline, who couldn't safely feed at home without detection. It was early in the day, so not much blood had been given yet, but he managed to swipe a few bags, enough to last a day or so. They'd had to be careful with acquiring large quantities these days, ever since Stefan went on his thieving spree on his last binge.

He'd just arrived home and put the blood bags in the fridge when Stefan himself called from school.  
"Elena didn't get home last night," His brother told him without further ado.

"What?" Damon dropped the blood bag he was holding.

"He thought you guys had gotten back together and she'd stayed at ours, but I didn't think she had," Stefan explained. Damon swallowed.

"No… I left her at the party," His voice was hardly a whisper.

"Her bed hadn't been slept with and her car's still at the Lockwood's."

* * *

Could she not go one day without something ridiculous happening to her? Elena woke up vaguely a few times with no idea where she was. There was a constant motion but wherever she was, it was dark and confined. She passed back out each time though and didn't fully awaken until she felt fresh air on her face. She seemed to be in somebody's arms, and they were carrying her somewhere, because all Elena could see was ceiling. For a second she thought she might be with Damon but then she remembered and opened her eyes.

The man who was carrying her had dark blonde hair and a little shadow on his chin, but he was ordinary looking. If she couldn't tell how easily he was carrying her weight and the fact that her arms and legs were tied by ropes, she might think he was human. He placed her on a couch and removed the ropes, but she felt too weak to move.

"What do you want?" She asked him. He simply hushed her. She could feel her wounds still aching desperately from where she'd been bound to Katherine and she winced, "Please, I'm hurt," She pleaded.

"I know," His gaze moved to the wound, which was still bloody, "Just a taste…" The veins around his eyes rapidly spread as his pupils darkened with thirst. He was lowering his mouth the wound and Elena knew she couldn't fight him.

"Trevor! Control yourself!" A female voice called, and he stopped.

"Buzzkill," He said, but he did as she asked and stopped trying to feed from her, vamping out of the room. Elena found herself left alone with the newcomer, a quite beautiful woman with big green eyes. Elena struggled to her feet.

"What do you want with me?" She asked bravely.

"Oh my God," The woman spoke with an English accent and her eyes were travelling over Elena's face with fascination, "You look just like her." Elena got a now-familiar twisting feeling in her gut. A lot of people knew who Katherine was, and most of them were enemies. Elena didn't want to be hurt for Katherine again.

"But I'm not," She began, "Please, whatever you-"

"Be quiet!" The woman said.

"But I'm not Katherine, I'm Elena Gilbert, you don't have to do this," She begged quickly.

"I know who you are," The female vampire snapped, "I said be quiet!"

"What do you want?" Elena demanded more urgently, panicking now that she knew the woman was aware she wasn't Katherine but had had her kidnapped anyway. Why? Before she got any further, the woman slapped her so hard that she passed out again.

She woke up again sometime later, though she kept her eyes shut, listening hard. Neither of the vampires from earlier seemed to still be in the room with her, so she opened her eyes and got to her feet, creeping as stealthily as possible across the room, sneaking out of the door. She had no idea where she was, but she wanted to know why they'd taken her. She could hear voices coming from upstairs. As she started climbing, nearing them, she was able to hear:  
"…He either got it or he didn't. We just have to wait," This voice belonged to the woman.

"Look, it's not too late," The one called Trevor replied, "He either got it or he didn't. We don't have to go through with this," Elena thought he sounded kind of scared.

"I'm sick of running!" The woman burst out with anguish.

"Yeah? Well running keeps us from dying." Elena crept a little closer to the room the voices were coming from, listening through the crack in the door.

"Elijah's old school," The female replied, "If he accepts our deal, we're free." Elena was just wondering what they were so desperate to be free from and what on earth she had to do with it, not to mention who Elijah was, when a floorboard squeezed beneath her feet. She cringed, but it was too late. The female turned around and spotted her.

"You! There's nothing around here for miles," She told her, "If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?" Elena gulped in fear but forced herself to ask the question.

"Who's Elijah?"

"Your worst nightmare," The woman replied grimly. She looked at Trevor, who nodded and then departed the room, leaving Elena alone with the vampire. She was worried she might attack her again but she didn't. She stood alone and folded her arms, looking at Elena.

"Why am I here?" She asked her quietly.

"You keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them," The vampire retorted.

"Why won't you?"

"That's another one," Elena sighed in frustration, tired of the back and forth.

"You got me, okay? It's not like I can go anywhere, the least you can do is tell me what you want with me," She told the woman, who eyed her up and down.

" _I_ personally want nothing; I'm just a delivery service."

"Delivery to who? Elijah?" When Rose confirmed this, Elena pressed, "Is he a vampire?"

"He's one of _the_ vampires, an Original," Elena frowned, wondering what she meant by that. She spoke the word as if it was a title, a noun. An Original vampire? "Haven't the Salvatore's been teaching you your vampire history?" Elena raised her eyebrows.

"So you know Stefan and Damon?" Despite Damon's assertions that being a vampire wasn't some sort of club, a lot of them did seem to be connected in some way or another.

"I know _of_ them," The woman replied, "A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys, though," She added, looking at Elena with new interest, "Something it seems we have in common." Elena ignored the last part.

"Who are the Originals?"

"Trevor and I have been running for five hundred years. We're tired, we want it over, we're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess," This just confused Elena even more.

"But why me?"

"Because you're a Petrova doppelganger- you're the key to breaking the curse," Something about the way she spoke of the curse informed Elena of exactly what she was talking about.

"The sun and the moon curse?" She guessed. "What do you mean I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse." That'd been why Katherine had been after it, after all. It was what poor Mason Lockwood had died for. Elena pushed that thought out of her mind.

"The moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it- meaning, the blood of the doppelganger. Which means, to break the curse, you're the one who has to die." Elena stared, shocked. A lot of her mind wanted to scream out that this couldn't be true, but by now she had seen far too much not to at least consider all the possibilities. She sank into a chair nearby, thinking. The vampire watched her.

"Listen, uh-?"

"Rose," The woman replied, finally supplying Elena with a name.

"You talk about the doppelganger thing- the Petrova doppelganger like… I don't know. Like there's something… more to it," Elena struggled to explain what she was thinking, but Rose seemed to get the gist.

"More than just you and Katerina? I don't know the origins of the doppelgangers but I do know that a Petrova doppelganger's blood has to be used to break the curse."

* * *

"So," Damon said casually to Stefan as they sped along the highway in his car, "Road trip."

"I wasn't sure you were going to come," His brother replied, his face unreadable. Damon frowned.

"Why'd you think that?" Stefan actually raised his eyebrows at this question, as if surprised that Damon even needed to ask. Damon waited for an answer, feeling increasingly agitated. Bonnie had done a location spell and they were following the map, but cars just didn't move as fast as he'd like them to when it came to rescue missions.

"I don't know if you'd noticed but you and Elena are sort of on the out's," Stefan pointed out. Damon gritted his teeth.

"That doesn't mean I want her dead," He responded bluntly. Stefan shrugged.

"Alright, fine. How much further do we have to go, anyway?" Damon frowned, glancing at the map.

"About eighty miles. And I bet you're loving it, by the way," He added.

"Enjoying what?" Stefan asked.

"Me and Elena being… you know. Now's your chance brother," Damon was watching his brother's expression carefully out of the corner of his eye, but Stefan gave nothing away, keeping his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"I'm not interested in stealing your girl out from under you, Damon. We should've both learned that lesson in 1864." Damon was so surprised that he was lost for words; if he had been in Stefan's position he probably would have been rejoicing at signs of trouble in paradise, but his brother, as usual, was the better man. Still, he appreciated it. He opened his mouth but he couldn't say anything. Thankfully, Stefan seemed to understand, because he clapped him on the shoulder, but they said no more about it. "Why'd you think they took her?"

"I guess whoever Katherine's been running from has caught her up and they got the wrong girl," Damon shrugged. It made sense that Katherine had enemies on her tail and that they'd tracked her to Mystic Falls and seen Elena, her spitting image. Stefan nodded, looking down at the vervain bomb in his hands that Alaric had given him. They just had to hope that it was enough. A few miles down the road, Stefan's phone beeped. He picked it up and opened a message from Jeremy, showing it to Damon. It was a map of the area they were headed to- and the only thing for miles around appeared to be a house. It had to be where Elena was! Damon stepped on the gas and then another message came through from Jeremy.

"Jer says that Bonnie has sent Elena a message somehow, that we're coming to get her," Stefan informed Damon, who nodded. He had been watching Bonnie Bennett earlier and she had appeared to be run-down by all the magic she'd been doing, something which he knew could happen, especially to young witches. "We're getting close, Jeremy said there's an access point at mile marker six." Damon reached into the backseat at this and grabbed one of the blood bags he'd brought, ripping it open and drinking from it. He could feel his brother watching.

"If you want some, just ask," He said. He had continued to control his brother's intake of blood and thus far, Stefan seemed to be coping well. He only hoped this meant that his brother was finally getting a handle on his bloodlust. Stefan just nodded and Damon handed him the blood bag. His brother drank a few gulps before he snatched it back.

* * *

Trevor came back after a while. Silence had fallen between Rose and Elena, but Elena had been watching her captor closely. She stuck to the shadows and didn't have a daylight ring; she also glanced over her shoulder every now and then, probably at noises that Elena's human ears couldn't pick up, but nonetheless Rose seemed nervous.  
"He's here!" Trevor looked terrified, "This was a mistake!"

"No! I told you I would get us out of this! You have to trust me," Rose told him.

"No, he wants me dead Rose!" Elena saw the anguish in his expression. She had assumed that her captors were evil, and yet… they just seemed desperate. Everything that Rose had told her about wanting their freedom back, and that Elena was simply a way to do it- and yet she hadn't let Trevor feed from her. That said a lot more about Rose than anything else.

"He wants her more," The woman nodded in Elena's direction.

"I can't do this. You give her to him, he'll have mercy on you but I need to get out of here!"

"Hey! What are we?" Rose asked, grabbing Trevor's arm and fixing him with a stern look. He swallowed but seemed to calm down a little, though he also just seemed resigned.

"We're family," Trevor replied quietly, so that Elena could hardly hear, "Forever." There was a moment of calm before the knock on the door came. The two vampires' heads turned towards the sound, though both were completely frozen otherwise.

"You're scared," Elena said. Rose swallowed visibly.

"Stay with her and don't make a sound," She told Trevor, before heading out to answer the door.

From this distance, Elena couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell that Trevor was eavesdropping. She wished she had vampire hearing in that moment- and also, she thought ruefully, vampire healing abilities tended to come in handy in these situations. She had no idea what to expect from Elijah, but from the way the other two vampires were behaving she ought to be worried. After a short while, Elena heard two sets of footsteps as Rose returned with Elijah. She could tell when they'd arrived because they stopped. Scared of what she was going to be met with, Elena turned to look at them.

Elijah was a tall, dark haired man with sparkling dark eyes and a slightly amused expression on his face. He was impeccably dressed, too, Elena noticed, and carried an air of complete dignity about him. His expression changed completely when he saw Elena, to one of surprise. He rushed over to her too fast for her to see and stopped before her. Elena held very still as he bowed his head to sniff her neck. Then he took a step back, looking even more shocked, but satisfied.

"Human," He murmured, almost as if to himself, "It's impossible. Hello there," He added to her. Elena just stared at him. "Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going." He said this in a strangely friendly tone, as if he was asking Elena to take a stroll among the trees with him. Scared, she looked to Rose:

"Please don't let him take me," She asked.

"One last piece of business and we're done," Elijah said decisively, turning towards Trevor, who looked even more frightened now that Elijah was actually in the room.

"I've waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly very sorry," He stammered as the Original approached him.

"Oh no, you're apology's not necessary," Elijah assured him mildly.

"Yes, yes it is," Trevor insisted, "You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you." Elijah stopped near to him.

"Oh yes, you are the guilty one. And Rose aided you because she was loyal to you and that now I honour," Elijah stated, and Elena saw Rose give a tiny sigh of relief, "Where was your loyalty?" Trevor licked his lips.

"I _beg_ your forgiveness," He pleaded in a hushed voice.

"So granted," Elijah said easily. Trevor smiled in obvious relief, but the next second, Elijah raised his hand and smacked him round the face. There wasn't that much of a swing to it, but Elena cried out in shock as Trevor's head came clean off his neck, thumping sickeningly to the floor across the room. Elena thought she was going to be sick at the sight as his body crumpled to the ground and began to turn grey.

* * *

 **A/N: Omg you have no idea how excited I am that we're finally getting to meet the Originals! I thought it was a nice touch to meet Elijah for the first time in the fiftieth chapter too! Thanks a lot to everybody who reviewed last time, you guys are great!**


	51. Promise of Time

**Chapter Fifty-One: Promise of Time  
**

After that display, Elena understood why Rose and Trevor had been so afraid of Elijah. She was also aware that Trevor had been a lot stronger than her, a lot more equipped to survive, and yet Elijah had killed him with barely a gesture of effort. How was she, a lowly human, going to get herself out of this situation in one piece?

"Come," Elijah said, gesturing to her.

"No," Elena refused bravely, clutching at straws, "What about the moonstone?" She could tell that he was surprised that she brought this up, though he smoothed his expression over immediately.

"What do you know about the moonstone?" He asked her, watching her intently.

"I know that you need it and I know where it is," She informed him.

"Yes?" He said expectantly.

"I can help you get it," She had no reason to suspect that Elijah would listen to her but she knew she had to try if she wanted any chance of prolonging her survival. As things were looking, though…

"Tell me where it is," Elijah commanded.

"It doesn't work that way." He smiled at that.

"Are you negotiating with me?" He looked towards Rose, as if hoping for an explanation as to why a frail human girl was challenging an Original vampire such as himself.

"It's the first I've heard of it," Rose assured him. Elena swallowed as Elijah turned back towards her. She saw his pupils dilate and realised what he was going to do- or trying to do, anyway. But he couldn't compel her. He sniffed and spotted the necklace that Stefan had given her all those months ago.

"What is this vervain doing around your neck?" He asked softly, before yanking it off her neck and throwing it away. Before Elena could react, he grabbed her by the head and forced her to look at him, compelling her: "Tell me where the moonstone is," He said. Elena didn't want to. She knew in her mind that she didn't want to lose her leverage but she had no choice. She answered robotically:

"In the tomb, underneath the church ruins."

"What is it doing there?" Elijah asked.

"It's with Katherine," That had been the plan, to throw Katherine in the tomb whilst she was holding the moonstone, which was still spelled to keep her unconscious. She couldn't leave the tomb.

"Interesting…" Elena had no idea why that particular part of the story was interesting, except for the fact that Katherine was her doppelganger. The sound of breaking glass shattered Elijah's apparent reverie. They all looked up at the ceiling, to where the sound had come from above them. "What is that?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know," Rose replied, honestly. Elena felt her heart pick up for a second with hope, but then it became fear. If Damon and Stefan had come to rescue her then Elijah would just kill them. There was no question about that now.

"Who else is in this house?" Elijah insisted.

"I don't know," Rose repeated, with some anguish. Elijah seized Elena and pulled her through the door, dragging her through the house. Elena blinked as a dark shape whizzed by her too quickly to identify. There seemed to be more than one, moving too fast to keep up with. Elena understood; they were vamping all over the place. Elijah shoved Elena into Rose's arms.

"Rose," Elijah looked at the female vampire.

"I don't know who it is," She promised.

"Up here," A voice called, and Elijah went speeding up the stairs in pursuit of whoever it was.

"Down here," A second voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Elijah turned and a stake ripped through his hand. As he pulled it out, Elijah turned, but somebody had already grabbed Elena and pulled her out of sight; she realised it was Stefan. She could see Damon now had Rose, too, his hand clapped over her mouth. She wanted to tell him that Rose wasn't with Elijah but there was no way of communicating that, and Damon was motioning to her to stay quiet.

"Excuse me," Elijah called loudly, "To whom it may concern, you're making a grave mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?" There was a snapping noise as Elijah broke a coat rack into a stake. Elena cringed; she didn't doubt for a second that Elijah couldn't be beaten in a fight after what she'd seen him do to Trevor. She looked fearfully at Stefan and then Damon, who had no idea what they were dealing with.  
"I repeat, you cannot beat me! So I want the girl, I'm gonna count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?" Neither Damon nor Stefan moved, so Elena took matters desperately into her own hands. She hurried out from her hiding place before Stefan could stop her, her hands clutched behind her back.

"I'll come with you," She told Elijah, looking down the stairs towards him, "Just please don't hurt my friends, they just wanted to help me out." She blinked and Elijah was right in front of her, having vamped up the stairs. He still had the stake in his hand.

"What game are you playing with me?" He asked curiously. Using her only opportunity, she let the pin out of the vervain grenade she'd snatched from Stefan and let it off in his face. Elijah's face immediately blistered painfully on impact, but he also healed straight away. Elena had backed up a few steps but Elijah began to advance on her again. Before he got very far though, Stefan appeared out of nowhere, shooting a stake at him with the compressed air weapon of Alaric's. It seemed to have no effect on Elijah, though, so Stefan tackled him instead.

In the pandemonium, Elena watched Stefan and Elijah tumble down the stairs in a sequence which might have been comical if it wasn't dangerous. At the bottom, Elijah vamped to his feet but Stefan stayed down. He stepped towards Stefan but Damon flashed over. It was over in a second: Damon staked Elijah, pinning him to the nearby door with it. There was a beat of ringing silence, but then Rose ran for the door. Damon went after her but Elena called out:

"No! Just… let her go." Rose had been punished for long enough in the time she'd spent running from the Originals, and now Elena could see why one wanted to run. Damon stopped and looked up at her at the top of the stairs. Elena began to walk down the stairs towards him but then Stefan got to his feet and stepped between them as she reached the ground.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked her with concern.

"I'm fine," Elena answered, but she was looking at Damon. She wanted nothing more then but to throw her arms around him, but she couldn't. He seemed to know what she was thinking though, because when their eyes met he gave her a sad sort of smile and started heading out the door.

The journey home was a difficult one. Elena was sat in the backseat of Damon's car while the brothers took the front, and she was left with the hefty task of explaining everything that'd gone on.  
"Rose told me that the blood of the doppelganger is needed to break the curse," Elena explained, "A Petrova doppelganger, like me or Katherine. The Original's want me for that reason… I guess Katherine's blood won't work because she's a vampire."

"Why would the Original's want the curse broken?" Damon wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but they do," Elena sighed, too tired to analyse anything.

"And how exactly does Rose fit into it? And the other guy?" Stefan wanted to know.

"Trevor," Elena corrected, "He was supposed to give Katherine to them, way back when, but he must've helped her escape. Rose stayed loyal to Trevor, Elijah said, and they've been running ever since. This was supposed to settle their debt."

"And we'd been wondering what had Katherine running… I'm surprised she didn't just stake Elijah herself," Damon scoffed.

"There has to be more than one Original…" Elena closed her eyes, feeling a little dizzy.

"We should stop off, get you some water at least," Stefan suggested thoughtfully. Damon complied and they stopped at the next gas station. Elena swallowed the water gratefully, feeling a little better after that but no less tired.

"Thank you both," Elena spoke after a while, just as they entered Mystic Falls, "For finding me. I have no idea where I'd be right now…"

"Of course," Damon was the one who replied. There was a very awkward pause then. Stefan glanced in the rear-view mirror at Elena and then at his brother.

"You know, I need to hunt, I still need the animal blood to keep my strength up. Let me out here and take Elena home." Stefan nodded towards the trees lining the road. Damon exchanged another look with his brother before pulling over. Stefan got out of the car and bade Elena goodbye. Elena waved as he disappeared into the trees and then sat back in her seat, eyes shut. Damon wordlessly drove on for a while.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Elena," He said eventually.

"This isn't your fault, Damon," She told him, not opening her eyes, "This sun and moon curse thing has existed for… well, however long vampires have existed for, at least. None of us could've known that there were more Petrova doppelgangers."

"Yeah," He agreed resignedly, "That was another secret Katherine neglected to share."

"You knew her real name was Katerina Petrova, though," Elena mused, "You gave me that book we found in Isobel's office." Now she was looking at him, watching his reaction in the mirror. Damon seemed to consider his answer before he gave it:

"Katherine obviously never thought me knowing her name would amount to much. Notice how she never told Stefan? He was the one she wanted to spend an eternity with." Damon didn't even sound bitter when he spoke about the fact Katherine had chosen his brother anymore. Elena hoped that meant he was really healing. Of course, he still hated Katherine. Elena sighed.

"I don't want to talk about _her_ anymore," She said decisively. She would face days, weeks, probably months, of Katherine talk from this moment forward. But now that she was alone with Damon, she wanted to talk to him. "Damon, I'm sorry."

"What for?" They were stopping outside her house now. Damon shut off the engine and waited.

"I just… You just saved my life. You killed an Original and… and all I want to do is forgive you."

"But…" Damon said.

"I just need time." It was clear to her, now, that she was always bound to forgive Damon for killing Mason. She had already forgiven him so many atrocities, overlooked so many things about him that so many other people flagged up as reasons to stay away from Damon Salvatore. None of it mattered because she understood him; she understood who he and _what_ he was. And she would not rather that Mason had killed Damon- the fear that Elijah would had almost crippled her that day, which told her everything she needed to know.

"Elena," Damon reached back to take her hand for a moment, "I have nothing but time for you. I hope you know that."

Jeremy and Bonnie were at home waiting for her when she arrived. Ordinarily she might question why Bonnie was hanging out with her little brother but her brain was packed to bursting with legends, curses, and Damon. She had no space for much else.

* * *

Damon returned home but he could hardly look at Stefan. In spite of what his brother had said about not wanting to steal Elena out from under him, he hadn't been able to help feeling gutted when Stefan had stepped between them at the house that Rose and Trevor had taken her to. And then, on top of that… Elena was right when she'd said there had to be more than one Original. He had surmised that it couldn't be over yet, even if he had killed Elijah. He didn't know much about the Original's, except that they were the first people to be cursed (or blessed, depending on how you looked at it) with vampirism. He hadn't even been aware that they were still alive, and he had no idea how they differed from ordinary vampires if at all.

He sat in his room with a large scotch and a full mind, but then he remembered something. He took out the necklace he had retrieved from the floor of the house, the one Stefan had given Elena. He had resented his brother for doing that at the time, even though back then he'd barely had any emotions. He should have realised then that he had feelings for Elena but as usual he was late to catch on. Making a decision, Damon drowned the rest of his glass and got to his feet: he now had an errand to run.

Damon flashed through the dark woods across town, not stopping until he'd reached Elena's house. As usual her window was open- nobody she feared could get into her house without being invited in. Damon checked the rest of the house and those of her nearest neighbours to make sure nobody was watching before he jumped; he landed lightly on the windowsill and climbed into her room. She wasn't in there yet but he could hear her in the bathroom, so he waited for a moment. She came into the room wearing pyjamas, giving a start of surprise when she saw him. It'd been a little while since he'd paid her a night time visit.

"Cute PJs," He complimented.

"I'm tired, Damon," She said flatly. She had asked him for time earlier, and he'd promised her that.

"I just came to give you this back," He held up the necklace. Surprise passed over her beautiful features.

"I thought that was gone," She admitted, "Thank you." In spite of his reservations about the undeniable connection between Elena and Stefan, he knew that this necklace meant a lot to her. He also knew, now, that as long as Elena didn't change her mind, she and his brother were nothing more than friends.

"Before I give it back," He began, holding it out of her reach, "I just want to say something." He saw a little sadness in her eyes and knew she understood; she wasn't going to remember this. "I promised you time, Elena. I know that you're going to forgive me even though I don't deserve it, because you believe in the best in me even though nobody else does. You deserve somebody good, like my brother, and I don't deserve anywhere close to you but… I love you, more than I have ever loved anything in my very long life, and… I can't be this selfish with you. That's why you can't remember this right now. Because I can't break another promise to you."

"Damon…" Her eyes were brimming with tears and he was unsurprised to feel a tear of his own sliding down his cheek.

"I'm sorry that you're going to forget this," He compelled. He felt her mind submit to his as her hand touched her necklace. He was gone in the same instant that she took it.

* * *

Elena had given up trying to remember what a normal day felt like. Normal to her nowadays was vampires and blood. So when she got out of bed, rather than start getting ready for school, the first thing she did was look at the hefty volume entitled 'PETROVA'. She had never quite brought herself to look at it in full, having been too raw from finding everything out about Isobel and werewolves at the time to want to delve into family history. She didn't open it now, either, just looked at it for a while. Not long after waking, she got a message from Stefan: _**'Rose is here. Come urgently'.**_

And so, Elena got showered and dressed and drove over to the Salvatore's, resigned to an onslaught of yet more gory information. Damon opened the door when she knocked.  
"Hi," She greeted him, a little nervously. She appreciated that he had agreed to give her time but a part of her still wished he had fought to get her back right in that moment.

"Come this way," He said, letting her into the house. Stefan also appeared.

"Hey," He greeted her.

"What is this about?" Elena wanted to know. She had no idea why Rose would follow them back to Mystic Falls. Rose appeared in the doorway that led to the living room, carefully avoiding the sunlight until Stefan had shut the door behind them. She gave Elena a tentative smile before leading the way into the living room. Elena sat down and waited expectantly.

"Okay," Rose began, "You have to understand that I know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what isn't- it's the problem with this vampire crap. But Klaus- I know _he's_ real." Elena hadn't heard that name before.

"Who is he?"

"He's the Original everyone's actually heard of," Damon explained, "Even though nobody really knows anything about him. He's a legend."

"An Original, like Elijah?" Elena clarified.

"Elijah was the Easter bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier; Klaus is the real deal," Rose told her. Elena mulled this over. She had seen what Elijah could do and if Klaus was worse…

"Klaus is known to be the oldest," Stefan added.

"Okay, so you're saying the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" Elena raised her eyebrows. It seemed completely absurd, which is what made it seem all too believable.

"If what she's saying is true," Damon admitted grimly. As they debated Rose's honesty, Elena's mind just kept drifting back to Katherine. Stefan and Damon might not want to believe that Klaus was coming after her, but something had to have scared Katherine into running all her life and Elena wouldn't have believed that Katherine could be afraid of anything. So whatever it was, or whoever it was… had to be the worst imaginable. Klaus, horribly, seemed to match that description. Which, of course, made Rose's story make an awful kind of sense.

"…Elijah's dead and nobody else even knows that you exist," Stefan concluded heatedly, after some back and forth.

"That you know of," Rose corrected frankly.

"You're not helping," Damon snapped. She just pulled a face at him.

"Look," Stefan said, "I've never even met anyone whose laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries worth of truth mixed with fiction- we don't know if he's real. For all we know he could be some sort of stupid bedtime story."

"He's real and he doesn't give up," Rose chimed in dimly, "If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus you're an idiot." Stefan and Damon didn't seem to buy it but Elena had seen the kind of fear Rose and Trevor had demonstrated just at the thought of Elijah. Something made her trust what Rose was saying, even if it was the last thing she really wanted to hear.

"Alright, we're shaking. You made your point," Damon told her sarcastically. Elena sighed, getting to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked her.

"School, I'm late," Elena replied vaguely.

"Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you," Stefan started to say, but Elena stopped him abruptly.

"It's okay, I know where it is."

Of course, she wasn't going to school at all. Between staring at the Petrova book and showering, Elena had made a decision: only one person could give them surefire answers to their questions, and that was Katherine. Stefan and Damon would never allow her down to the tomb to visit her doppelganger alone and ask the questions she needed to, so she called on the only other person who could help her: Caroline. Her friend had her own doubts about Elena going to see Katherine, of course, but she had agreed to try and keep the Salvatore's occupied while she was down there, as well as opening the heavy tomb door for her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The blonde asked, for the umpteenth time, as they looked at the huge stone door.

"Yes, I'm sure," Elena answered decisively, "She's the only one who knows the truth about Klaus. The only one who can tell me how to stop him." Of course, there were flaws in this plan, like the fact that Katherine avoided the truth like it was a plague. But Elena had the advantage over her while she was locked starving in the tomb. Caroline was also quick to point out the problems with Katherine being a liar. "I can't just sit back and wait. I have to know, Caroline," Elena implored. Caroline nodded. She had become a lot more understanding since becoming a vampire, and a lot more confident in herself.

Once the heavy door had been heaved back, Elena called out the name:  
"Katherine?" Her voice echoed off the stone walls. She looked at her friend: "I'll be okay from here." As she said it, they both heard a noise and turned. It took a moment for her to emerge out of the darkness of the tomb, but then Elena's mirror image, Katherine, was before them.

"Hello, Elena. Come to watch me wither away? Goodbye, Caroline," She added. Caroline stood still, hesitant to leave.

"As long as I stay on this side of the door she can't hurt me," She reminded her friend, "Please." Caroline looked reluctantly towards the two of them but then nodded and left. Elena turned back to face her doppelganger, alone. It was time for some answers.

* * *

 **A/N: So it's all coming out now! Thanks so much for reading everybody, more soon to come of course!**


	52. The Petrova Sacrifice

**A/N: Before anything else I just want to say, sorry for the delay in updates, I know it's unusual! I don't even really have an excuse, I've just been really beaten down and tired the past week or so and didn't do much writing. I'm back on my game now though so don't worry!**

 **Chapter Fifty-Two: The Petrova Sacrifice**

"I knew this day would come," Katherine said, obviously trying to keep up the show of the untouchable ice queen but failing significantly because she was too weak to stand without clutching the wall of the tomb. "Does Damon know you're here?" Elena ignored this and dropped the heavy bag she was holding to the ground.

"I brought you some things," She informed her doppelganger. She refused to let Katherine bother her this time; she needed these answers and the only way to get them was to do it alone.

"You came here to bribe me?" Katherine questioned suspiciously, "What is it that you want?"

"I want you to tell me about Klaus," Elena answered with a clear air of satisfaction. Katherine certainly looked surprise to hear that name, she was happy to see, though she quickly hid it.

"Hmm, you've been busy," She noted.

"I also brought you this," And she produced the huge Petrova volume from the bag, "It's your family history. It says in here the line ended with you- obviously, that's not true." Katherine actually smiled then, which was strange for Elena to see- a cruel smile on her own face staring back at her through the shadows.

"I suppose it's _our_ family history," She smirked to Elena, "You think that if you brought me some family keepsake that I'd open up?" Elena smiled right back; she was surprised but pleased at her ability to second guess her doppelganger these days.

"I also brought you this," And she produced the bottle of blood Caroline had supplied her with, waving it at Katherine. Her reaction was immediate; she tried to vamp at Elena to get to the blood, but she hit the invisible barrier of the spell that was keeping her trapped inside the tomb and couldn't get out. Elena hovered out of Katherine's reach.

"You don't look so good," She mocked Katherine, "How long before your body shuts down? Ten, twenty years? It must be painful to desiccate and mummify, I can't even imagine." Katherine probably would have throttled her if she could, but Elena definitely felt some of her anger and frustration leaving her as she taunted her evil doppelganger. It was fair payment for all the grief Katherine had caused in her life. Instead, Katherine sighed and slid to the floor, looking pale and tired. Elena also sat down, producing a cup from her bag and pouring a tiny measure of blood into it. Placing it on the ground, she picked up a stick and pushed the cup over the line to Katherine's side of the spell. The vampire drank immediately and Elena saw a little of her colour return straight away. When Elena offered her more blood, Katherine jumped at the chance, placing the cup on the floor.

"It's a long story, Klaus and I," Katherine began as Elena poured more blood, "It goes all the way back to England, 1492, after I left Bulgaria… or was thrown out." She received the blood and downed it again.

"Thrown out?"

"My family, your true ancestors, they disowned me. My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time," Katherine laughed bitterly, "I had a baby out of wedlock. The shame." She laughed again.

"It was kept secret?" Elena surmised.

"Mm," Katherine confirmed, looking over at her, "My baby was given away…" And so Katherine told the story of her daughter being snatched away the second she was born, getting mixed into English high society and meeting Klaus, whom she'd then been forced to run from as he threatened to spill every drop of blood from her in order to break the curse.  
"The curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood," Katherine concluded, "The doppelganger was created as a way to undo the spell. Once the doppelganger reappears, the curse can be broken."

"So… you ran before he killed you?" Elena was watching Katherine's reactions closely now.

"Something like that," She answered in a funny sort of voice, "I stole the moonstone and I ran. Trevor told me to go to Rose and she'd help me to freedom. I didn't know what else to do. But she told me that she was going to deliver me back to Klaus."

"But she didn't, did she?" Elena recalled the conversation Elijah had had with Trevor.

"Not because she had a change of heart. I would rather have died than go back to Klaus…Rose wouldn't let that happen. She fed me her blood to save Trevor because he wanted to help me. While they were bickering, I hanged myself." Elena gaped after this last part. She couldn't believe it.

"You killed yourself?" She gasped.

"Klaus needed a human doppelganger. As a vampire I was no longer of any use to him." Elena stared at Katherine. What would she have done in Katherine's position? What was she _going_ to do, in Katherine's position?

"You didn't really escape," She pointed out, "You've been running from Klaus ever since." That was no life, in her opinion. 1492… that was over five hundred years of constant running. Elena didn't want that for herself. Katherine seemed to know what she was thinking about.

"I underestimated his spirit for vengeance, but living in a suitcase is better than being dead so you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock," Katherine smirked, "What's wrong? Afraid I'm right?"

* * *

Damon was not a fan of crying women, or crying anything. He didn't deal with emotion well and never had, not in himself and not in other people. But what on earth was he supposed to do with a weeping vampire he barely knew? Rose wiped her tears when she saw him but it was too late for that. He wished he could turn around and walk back out of the room.

"All right Rosebud," He said, "I need some answers. Oh please don't tell me you're crying 'cause your buddy Trevor lost his head?" Rose looked at him sardonically.

"Have you always been this sensitive?" She sniped.

"Full vampire switch for this reason," He grinned, "Takes the emotion out of it."

"Yeah, you switch yours, I'll switch mine." Damon laughed a little at that one. It wasn't so long ago that he thought he had his humanity switched permanently off. Elena had changed all of that. "Being in love with a human must be hard."

"What makes you say that?" He asked, for lack of knowing how else to respond.

"You and Elena, clearly in love," Rose looked at him with raised eyebrows. It made him want to break something. Instead, he just shrugged and mumbled something unintelligible. This was not a subject the felt like discussing right now, least of all with Rose. "

"How do I find Klaus?" He fired at her.

"You don't find Klaus, he finds you." This made him roll his eyes. Rose sure did seem to enjoy weaving riddles around Klaus.

"Somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right?" Although not every vampire knew each other, they were usually connected either by who sired who or by crossing paths. Especially nowadays, the world was not that big and vampires tended to get around a lot, what with having to keep on the move if they wanted to survive without detection.

"Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're not even close," Rose informed him. Damon huffed.

"Humour me," He told her, "You got in touch with Elijah. How did you do it?"

"Through a very low somebody on the totem pole," She replied, "A guy named Slater in Richmond." Damon nodded at this news, seizing on this lead. Anything to get out of this house and feel like he was doing something to protect Elena from whatever plot was brewing around her.

"Perfect, I'll drive," He told her, heading to the door. Rose stopped him.

"No, you forget not all of us can do sun," She indicated the windows. The curtains were drawn shut but a tiny slither of sunlight was coming in the room. Damon wondered how a vampire as old as Rose had gotten so far without a daylight ring- but then again, Katherine hadn't even had one until she met Emily, so he supposed it was a rare spell.

"Then you drive," He fired back at her, "Come on."

The drive to Richmond was lengthy but they would make good time on the almost clear highways. Rose had evaded the sun by shooting into Damon's car quickly, though she hissed every time rays got in through the window. Damon stoically ignored this, not in the mood to talk, but eventually he cracked when he got fed up with the looks she kept shooting him.

"What?" He snapped.

"I was just wondering what your deal is," She informed him, "Concerning Elena." He kept his eyes fixed determinedly ahead and ignored the question. He had simply had to watch her walk away and head to school like nothing had happened, unable to stop her. But if what Rose was saying about Klaus was true- and he had a nasty feeling it was- she was in a lot of danger and he hated that he couldn't protect her from it, especially when she would barely look at him. It was driving Damon crazy. Rose sighed.  
"I understand that it's none of my business, I'm just curious," She told him, "I saw the way you looked at her. There's something there, isn't there?"

"So?" Damon fired off.

"Vampire-human relationships. More common than you'd think."

"Do you have a point to make or are you just trying to piss me off?" Rose actually laughed at him.

"Whatever's happened between you two is none of my business. I hope you get what you want, Damon." They didn't speak much for the rest of the drive, until they finally pulled up at the coffee shop that Rose had directed him to. It was in a nice neighbourhood, but they descended into an underground parking lot, where Rose pointed out a back door.

"How convenient," He commented.

"That's the point," Rose replied, "We can't all have little daylight rings." He raised his eyebrows; not every vampire knew about daylight rings, and the ones who did usually did all that they could to get hold of one. Of course, it wasn't so easy to convince a witch to make you one, usually.

"How do you know this Slater guy is even here?" Damon asked as they got out of the car. He still couldn't help being a little suspicious of Rose, given the fact she had recently kidnapped Elena to sell her to Elijah and by extension, Klaus himself.

"I called him. He's here, he's always here," Rose answered.

"Good." He seized her by the throat and shoved her against the wall before she had time to react, "Just one thing, if you are setting me up in any way I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at," He added menacingly. But he was taken by surprise as Rose grabbed him and shoved him against the car, overpowering him easily and twisting his arm behind his back.

"I'm older than you, and stronger. Don't get on my bad side," She growled. Damon nodded, and she released him. He shook his arm out painfully, "You can trust me," Rose added, and Damon saw sincerity in her face.

The coffee shop was a surprisingly light and bright place with floor to ceiling windows, which confused him given Rose's constant reassertions about avoiding the sun.  
"What about the sunlight?" He asked her.

"Double paned and tempered. UV rays can't penetrate- see the appeal now?" She grinned.

"That and the free Wi-Fi," Damon turned to see a young-looking guy with dark hair and stubble. Rose hugged him, confirming his guess that this must be Slater.

"Hey, how are you?" She asked him warmly.

"Good, I saw you come. What are you doing here?" Slater wanted to know.

"Um, it's a long story, but I want you to meet-"

"Damon Salvatore. Turned in 1864 in Mystic Falls by Katherine Pierce, aka Katerina Petrova," Slater filled in, surprising Damon, who narrowed his eyes- but he supposed that if this guy could track an Original down he shouldn't be surprised that he could track him. "So I take it I was right, what I told you about the tomb under the church was true?" He asked Rose.

"Yes, it was right," She replied, "Thank you for the tip." Damon looked from one to the other, realising what a long afternoon they must have ahead of them.

* * *

"How much of your little story is true?" Elena folded her arms and sat against the tomb wall, watching Katherine.

"I have no reason to lie, Elena. I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot." It did all make a horrible kind of sense, but Elena was unwilling to completely trust Katherine's words.

"Okay, assuming it's even partially true, that's the reason you came back isn't it?" Elena was starting to realise that in order to get the full story, she was going to have to try and think like Katherine would. Why else would Katherine sit still in one place if she was so desperate to run from Klaus? "You wanted to be the one to hand me over to Klaus."

"Five hundred years on the run, I figured maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal," Katherine shrugged earnestly. So, that probably meant that Katherine's whole story was true. But there were other elements to this, Elena realised.

"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone… What else do you need to break the curse?" She glared at her mirror image, waiting.

"Hmm, look who is getting smarter," Katherine smirked.

"It's not just me or the stone, is it? Otherwise there'd be no need to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse." Katherine's entire diabolical plan was starting to make sense now, Elena saw.

"Witches and their spells. So many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice…"

"So you need a werewolf. What else?"

"A witch to do the spell. Mine bailed but Bonnie will do just fine," Katherine answered apathetically.

"What else?" Elena repeated her question.

"A vampire."

"Caroline," Elena realised now why Katherine had targeted her friend so much now. She probably saw her as an easy victim and also conveniently somebody else who it would hurt the Salvatore's the lose- she liked to cause maximum damage, after all. "So you were gonna just hand us all over to be killed?"

"Better you die than I," Katherine answered frankly, getting to her feet and walking away, back into the tomb. Elena listened to her footsteps fade, feeling sick. It wasn't just her who was in danger anymore, but all of them- her two best friends, Tyler, and anybody who tried to stand in the way of this spell being done- meaning Damon and Stefan!

For a long time, Elena simply sat staring into the dark depths of the tomb, thinking. If what Katherine said was true, they were all going to die. She wanted not to believe her doppelganger, to think that she was just lying to be vindictive, but it all made too much sense. And besides, Katherine was right- there was no reason for her to lie anymore, she was trapped in the tomb. Sighing, she grabbed the empty bottle which the blood had been in and got to her feet, about to leave, but a soft sound in the dim light alerted her to somebody's presence. Stefan stepped forward so she could see him.

"Elena," He said, looking at her.

"Stefan, what are you doing here?" She glanced back towards the tomb, but Katherine was still out of sight.

"I could ask you the same question," He looked slightly angry.

"Caroline told you," Her friend _had_ warned her she was no good at keeping secrets.

"No, she kept your secret but it didn't take me long to figure out what you were doing that was so important you couldn't tell Damon about it. Or me." Elena cringed at the mention of Damon's name, feeling a little guilty.

"I knew that you'd stop me," She decided to stick to her guns.

"Whatever she's told you, she's lying. Do not listen to her. She's a liar, Elena," Stefan repeated vehemently. Elena just sighed- if only Katherine _was_ lying this time. Of course, Stefan would deny it to the bitter end.

What if she isn't? You didn't hear what she said," She pointed out.

"You don't have to worry. We're not gonna let anything happen to you."

"That's the problem," Elena sighed sadly, "You won't, but you'll die trying. How's that any better?" The more she thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed. Her feelings weren't helped when Katherine re-emerged from the tomb.

"There's nothing you can do, Stefan."

* * *

Rose cried for most of the car journey back. The trip had been a total disaster- somebody had smashed the windows and fried the vampires within. Damon had managed to save Rose but she was distraught and Damon had no idea how he could make her feel better. He had thought at first that she and Slater might have been behind it, but he realised from her reaction that she had nothing to do with what happened. When they got back to the house, even he was relieved. He was starting to think he was in too deep with the Klaus situation.

"I'm sorry about today," Rose apologised anyway as he sipped his scotch, "I didn't know that was going to happen."

"I believe you," He admitted.

"I wish we could save Elena. I know that you want to." He ground his teeth. There _had_ to be a way of saving her, they just couldn't see it right now. There was no way he could lose Elena to Klaus, no way at all. Damon wouldn't survive that pain.

"And I will," He told her quietly.

"You remind me of Trevor," Rose said sadly. This surprised Damon.

"Why? Why him?"

"Because he always talked a big game, he was always working an angle but underneath it all he was the best friend anyone could hope for," She smiled.

"And where did that get him?" He asked sarcastically.

"Dead, and my loyalty to him almost got me dead too," Rose admitted wryly. He chuckled and handed her a scotch.

"To friendship," He toasted. Rose took a gulp of scotch.

"Did you ever try to fight it?" Rose asked him quietly, after a moments pause. Damon blinked at her confusedly, unsure what she was talking about. "Your feelings for Elena?" He had been aggravated when she had brought this topic up earlier, but the barriers had come down between him and Rose now he had an idea of what they were up against. It had landed them on the same side, somehow.

"In the beginning," He answered finally, after some thought.

"If you want to survive, you need to not care about anyone." He knew the truth of that all too well- it was why he had refused to care about anybody for so long. But Elena was different. "Now might be the time to turn your feelings off," Rose suggested.

"I will if you will," Damon challenged, glaring over at her. She glared back for a minute, but then they both laughed and looked away from each other. Damon gulped down the rest of his scotch and set his glass down. "My feelings were off, and Elena was my trigger- I _wanted_ to feel again."

"Then there's nothing we can do, is there?" Rose asked, and Damon shook his head. He was going to save Elena, he was determined of that.

He was still contemplating this later on that night, as he sat in his room. Rose had settled by the fire downstairs and he had needed time alone. He didn't really want to think about the mammoth task he was faced with but he couldn't turn it off. He was considering going down to the Grill for a drink when the sound of the door downstairs opening caught his attention. He thought it was Stefan returning home but then the footsteps on the stairs turned towards his room and moments later, Elena entered.

Tears were streaming down her face and her arms were crossed over her body, like she was in pain. Without even thinking, Damon vamped over to her and she collapsed into his arms.  
"I spoke to Katherine," She told him, when she had finally regained enough of her composure to speak. "She t-told me everything."

"Elena…" Damon wanted to sooth her but he didn't feel very soothed himself.

"I wanted to know the truth and I got it… I just… I can't blame anyone else now. Caroline and B-Bonnie and Tyler are in danger and it's because of m-me, not because of you coming to town or because I f-fell in love with you," Damon felt his stomach drop when she said that but he gave no outward sign of it, deciding that now was not the time. "It's all because of me!" He continued to comfort her until her sobs subsided into sniffles and then nothing. Elena didn't often cry, Damon had noticed. When she was done, she pulled out of his embrace and looked up at him. He could see the teardrops still clinging to her eyelashes and he wanted so badly to kiss her, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Once again thanks for your patience if you've got this far or if you've been waiting for me to update! I'm sorry that this chapter doesn't deviate much from the canon, other than Damon not sleeping with Rose. There isn't really much I can do without destroying the entire concept of Klaus and the curse when it comes to this and it wasn't something I could really skip over either, so I'm sorry if you got bored reading basically what happened in the show. It'll be onwards and upwards after this, but either way I'd be really grateful if you'd drop me a review even if you're only telling me I suck and there's too much dialogue!**


	53. Options

**Chapter Fifty-Three: Options**

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Rose said a little awkwardly as she stood in the doorway, "But I realised there is one way out of this."

"What?" Elena and Damon asked at the same time, both desperate.

"You could turn. Do what Katherine did." Elena had done nothing but think about this since she had learned the truth but she didn't want to let that on to Damon. She tried not to ever think about the possibility of becoming a vampire because it scared her- she wasn't sure what she wanted, except that she didn't want to have to make that decision right now, not under threat. Damon looked at her.

"I'd have to spend the rest of my life on the run," Elena said carefully, "Until Klaus caught up to me or until another doppelganger appeared. If that's another five hundred years…"

"You wouldn't have to run alone," Damon murmured, glancing at Rose.

"I might not make it as long as Katherine, Damon. Klaus could find me within an hour and kill us both." She saw the truth of her words hit him and the frown set in. She knew that he would rather take the risk and spend their lives on the run but she knew that wasn't who she was. Katherine had survived because she was unscrupulous and cruel- Elena couldn't be either of those things. Elena looked over at Rose.

"If you could choose all over again…" She said.

"I wouldn't want to spend my existence running," Rose admitted. That settled it between them.

"We just have to hide you from Klaus," Damon said decisively, "Somehow."

This conversation played over and over in Elena's mind for days afterwards. Her nightmares were back full blast but she didn't have Damon around to give her more pleasant dreams, so she was haunted by images of running through darkness only to hit endless walls at every turn. Because of this, she never slept deeply and that was probably why she woke up- she thought she heard a noise. She turned her head and squinted towards her bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, but nothing was amiss. Elena rolled over in bed with a sigh and shut her eyes- if she didn't get a decent amount of sleep one of these days she was going to lose her mind; she felt like she'd already started to. She was almost back to sleep when a door slammed somewhere in the house, jerking her awake again.

She slowly got out of bed and crept towards the door, opening it. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach the whole time. Out on the landing, Elena looked carefully around herself, looking for signs of anything out of place. Jeremy's bedroom door was slightly open and she moved towards it; that was when she heard a noise behind her. Her heart in her mouth, she span around as fast as she could only to find her face to face with an equally shocked looking Alaric. Realising her mistake, her hand went to her heart as if to steady it's pounding.

"Elena," Alaric gasped, clearing his throat. He lowered a bowl he was holding downwards and that was when she realised he was nude.

"I heard something," She muttered, still glancing nervously around herself. Alaric gave a nervous laugh.

"That was us," Jenna said, coming up the stairs. She was wearing Alaric's shirt and looked very embarrassed.

"We didn't think anybody else was up," Alaric muttered.

"But here you are," Jenna and Alaric blabbed on awkwardly for a while, trying to explain a situation which was painfully obvious to Elena. In all honesty, she was completely distracted by her relief that the sounds she had heard were completely normal. She made a mental note to herself as Alaric scampered off to stop being so paranoid- it wasn't healthy. "Are you sure it's okay?" Jenna was asking.

"Seems like things are good," Elena replied.

"They're extremely good," Jenna smiled warmly.

"Then I'm extremely okay with it." She went back to bed after this, her worries eased for now. Klaus wasn't in her house, waiting to snatch her away to perform the sacrifice needed to lift the curse. Jenna and Alaric were just enjoying their honeymoon period as a couple. Elena drifted off into a peaceful slumber for once and when morning came she felt well-rested- until she opened the door to both Salvatore brothers.

"Oh no," Was her automatic greeting. When Stefan and Damon arrived together it had to be bad news. Damon actually chuckled dryly.

"Hey, uh, can we talk?" Stefan asked her.

"Why?" Elena was already resigning herself to yet another bad day.

"We went to see Katherine," Damon replied. Tiredly, Elena stepped back to allow them to pass.

"Come on in."

Katherine had offered them the moonstone in exchange for her freedom from the tomb. Of course, it went against the grain to trust Katherine to keep her word, but Rose had said there was a way of destroying the spell that Klaus wanted to break if they had the moonstone. Elena thought it all over as they explained that Bonnie had already agreed to help, and was going to release the spell on the tomb long enough for them to get in, take the moonstone from Katherine, and get back out. The Salvatore's seemed excited by this plan, convinced it was going to work, but Elena didn't feel so sure.

"I don't want you to do it," She told them, once they'd finished explaining. Stefan and Damon both looked shocked to hear this.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan said, "Elena, we don't have a choice."

"What about Klaus?" Elena seriously doubted that the vengeful Original vampire was going to step aside to allow this plan to go ahead without a hitch.

"We'll find him right after we get the moonstone," Stefan told her. The fact that they had no idea how to track Klaus down didn't seem to enter into his mind at all.

"Is that before or after he kills everyone I care about, including the two of you?" Elena demanded, pointing at them. Her question stumped them momentarily, she could tell. Stefan looked at his brother as if to ask for help but Damon's blue gaze stayed on Elena. It was almost as if he wasn't surprised at all that Elena had taken this stance; he certainly understood her much better than Stefan did, even if he didn't like what he was hearing.

"Elena, if we can de-spell the moonstone we can save your life," Stefan told her, as if she wasn't following. But she understood what they wanted to do- it just seemed like there was no way they could pull it off.

"I know. Everybody keeps saying that." She walked out of the room. She was tired of needing to be saved, in all honesty, and if saving her put everybody else she cared about in the path of danger…

"Elena." She was unsurprised when Damon followed her up to her bedroom. The front door closed and she supposed that he had sent Stefan off so that he could talk to her. She was bustling around her room, tidying things up and not looking at him.

"Klaus isn't going to let this happen."

"Elena," Damon said her name again. She ignored him, continuing on her tornado-like path around her bedroom.

"The second you let that tomb spell down, Katherine is going to run and she's going to take the moonstone with her. And even if you succeed in getting the moonstone, Klaus will come and kill you before you find out how to break the spell. And then he will sacrifice me and the curse will be broken and…"

"Elena." Damon vamped in front of her and grabbed her arms, forcing her to come to a standstill. She tried to shake him off but he was too strong and so she gave up, looking at him. "I know you don't want to risk this. _I know_ ," He told her, "But _I_ am not willing to risk losing you. And even if that's what happens anyway, at least I will know I did everything in my power to save you. I can't let Klaus get to you, Elena, and if I have to die to stop him…"

"It's not just about you, Damon! It's about Stefan, too, and Caroline and Tyler and Bonnie and… everybody, every single person I know and love. You know how scared Rose is of Klaus. Doesn't that give you an idea of what we're up against?" Elena stared at him beseechingly. She didn't want to die any more than he wanted her to, but she didn't think this plan was going to do anything but kill them all, in the end. There _had_ to be another avenue for them to explore before it came to this. Damon let go of her arms and she saw his blue eyes flash in anger.

"This is out of your hands, Elena," He snapped, vamping out before she could speak, leaving a cold breeze behind him and an idea planted in Elena's mind. She grabbed her car keys and ran out of the house. She was supposed to be going to school that day but it was the last thing on her mind. The person she needed to see right then was Rose.

* * *

Damon was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. When he got back to the house, Rose was nowhere to be found, but he assumed that she had managed to get out and take cover somewhere. Bonnie and Jeremy came around to convene with him and Stefan.  
"I might be able to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and grab the moonstone from Katherine," The witch was saying.

"How? It took both you and your Grams last time, and look what happened to her," Jeremy pointed out. Damon had to admit, his point was a good one- Sheila was dead because the spell had consumed her.

"I'm well aware of what happened," Bonnie replied, "I've learned a few new things…"

"Bonnie…" Jeremy began reluctantly.

"How will you get it?" Bonnie fired at Stefan, ignoring Jeremy. Damon wondered when those two had become so close.

"She hasn't been feeding," Stefan replied, "She's weaker. We're not." When they had spoken to Katherine the previous night, she had been too weak to stand without support. It would not be difficult to fight her for the moonstone in that condition. Bonnie frowned and Damon raised his glass of blood to her, causing her to pull a face.

"You wouldn't be underestimating her, would you?" The witch asked.

"It's a plan. Is it perfect?" Damon snorted, "What plan is?"

"Let me do it," Jeremy volunteered, glancing at Bonnie, "I've got my ring. I can get in, get out, no spells necessary." Pushing his curiosity about Jeremy's suddenly protective stance towards Bonnie, Damon stomped on that plan.

"Gee, thanks, you sixteen year old child. Why didn't we think about that?" Stefan gave him a dirty look for being rude to the younger Gilbert, but underneath it Damon was more than a little aware of the fact that Elena would never forgive them for allowing her little brother to stray into Katherine's path. The vampire could easily snatch Jeremy's ring off of him and then kill him, even in her weakened state. She'd be desperate for his blood, too.

"Maybe I can help better with the plan," Said Bonnie, "Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?" Damon looked at Stefan. The only thing they still had that belonged to Katherine was the portrait of her. Damon remembered the night he had handed the picture to Elena, revealing her status as a doppelganger. They had come a long way since then. Stefan retrieved the picture and handed it to Bonnie.

"I found it with her things after I thought she was dead, but it was hers," Stefan explained off-handedly. Bonnie put the picture in a bowl and then dribbled water over it. The water turned into flames and she began chanting.

"What will this do?" Damon asked, watching. Bonnie opened her eyes.

"I can turn the metal into ash. Blow the ashes on her and it'll incapacitate her for a minute or two, long enough for you to get the stone and get out." Damon was actually quite impressed by this- Bonnie had clearly done a lot of studying since she'd first realised she was a witch, and had grown a lot more competent with her magic.

He and Stefan returned once more to the ruins of Fell's Church. Damon was officially sick of the place, although he still got a sense of satisfaction from the fact that Katherine was now locked up where she was supposed to have been all along- and she wasn't getting out.  
"Do you think this is going to work?" Stefan asked him.

"It has to," Damon didn't want to think about the alternatives. Bonnie arrived then and the three of them descended into the tomb. As Damon headed down the steps, his phone began to ring. He pulled it out and saw that it was Rose ringing him.

"Not a good time, Rose," He told her, by way of greeting.

"Don't be angry with me," She said, sounding a little nervous. Damon sighed.

"Why, what did you do?"

"You need to get to Richmond immediately."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this is a little shorter than usual, I don't really want to drag on with all the canon stuff as I said in the last chapter. Anyway, as usual, reviews are very welcome! More is on the way!**


	54. Crazy Kamikaze

**Chapter Fifty-Four: Crazy Kamikaze**

Alice took a while to stop crying. She had been Slater's girlfriend and the sight of his staked course had upset her, understandably. Elena, however, mainly felt frustrated that her only possible connection to Klaus was gone. Still, she had lost enough people by now to have compassion. She was just making tea when Rose returned to the main room of Slater's apartment. She took a seat beside Elena.  
"She found him a few minutes before we did," Rose informed her.

"How is she?"

"Overreacting," Rose replied, "Big time."

"Her boyfriend just died, there's no such thing as overreacting." Elena could only imagine how she'd feel if Damon died…

"Those tears are for her. She didn't care about Slater- she was only dating him long enough to see if he would turn her," Rose looked very distasteful as she explained this. Elena just shrugged and picked up the tea, carrying it through to Alice, who looked at her curiously as she sat down.

"You look really familiar… Did you know Slater?" Alice asked her.

"Not personally no. I only knew that he kept detailed records of all his vampire contacts and was hoping he could point me towards Klaus," Elena supposed that she would be safe to tell a human about Klaus- especially one who may be able to help her. It was a little strange, meeting another human who was knowingly caught up in the tumultuous vampire world.

"Doubtful. Klaus doesn't want to be pointed at," Alice said frankly.

"Do you know Slater's computer password?" It seemed ridiculous to be thwarted by this technology.

"Are you seriously asking me that right now? I just saw my boyfriend with a stake through his heart!" But after what Rose had said, Elena could see through Alice's veneer. While it was obviously true that she'd cared about Slater in some capacity, it was just shock that was making her cry.

"I understand that. Do you know his password?" She persisted.

"Who do you think you are?" As Alice sipped her tea, Elena wondered how she was going to get her to talk. She was the only hope she had of tracking Klaus down, or at least getting his attention. She hadn't exactly told Rose her whole plan but she knew it was only a matter of time before it became obvious. It was as she thought of Rose that the idea came to her.

"What if I could convince Rose to turn you?" Rose looked over at her, obviously having no intention of doing this, "Will you show us his files then?" Of course, it worked. Alice made a show of sniffing and pulling herself together but it wasn't long before she had logged into Slater's computer and was tapping away, while Rose and Elena stood behind, watching. However, all searches turned up negative; it became clear quickly that all the files had been deleted.

"Someone's been here," Alice said, "The hard-drive's been completely wiped." Elena and Rose looked at each other.

"Yeah, probably whoever killed him," Rose stated the obvious. Elena felt her stomach clench and she had to turn away; her last hope was gone. Now everybody she cared about, including herself, was most likely going to end up dead.

"Lucky for you, Slater was paranoid. Everything's backed up on a remote server," Alice informed them. And Elena's heart began to beat faster again. As Alice went about accessing the backed up files, Rose moved closer to whisper in Elena's ear that Alice wasn't getting anywhere near her blood.

"I know. She doesn't." Rose smiled at this lie. Elena sat down beside Alice, who took them through a few of the code names of Slater's contacts, including one with which he had shared many emails about Elijah with. Alice readily suggested that she could call him. Elena gritted her teeth, glancing at Rose; it was now or never.  
"Tell him that we're trying to send a message to Klaus. The doppelganger is alive and she's ready to surrender."

Predictably, Rose took Elena's plan badly, but she seemed to accept it. After all, what else was she going to do? Allow everybody else to die just so she could live? It was one thing being saved when it was only she who was truly in danger, but she was not prepared to put all of her friends and family's lives on the line for her own. It wasn't fair on them and this was the only way Elena could see to put an end to it all. She stood watching out of a window for a while, not really seeing what was on the other side of it. She was in almost a dream-like state. She had scraped death before but this time she had chosen it and she felt strangely about her choice. It went against her instincts to survive, after all…

Elena blinked. In the reflection of the glass she thought she saw somebody walking towards her… It looked like… Elijah, the Original? But he was dead. And yet, he looked so real, so close and so solid… Elena span around, half-expecting to find him standing right behind her, but there was nobody there.

She returned to the main room of the apartment. Alice was sat there, looking nervous and excited. Elena tried to think of something to say but she couldn't, so she turned to leave the room again but got the momentary fright of her life when she found herself face-to-face with Damon.  
"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Elena returned, but then Rose entered the room and it fell into place; of course she wasn't going to allow Elena to carry out her plan in peace. "You called him?"

"I'm sorry, Elena," Rose shrugged.

"You said that you understood," Elena had to admit she was a little bit hurt by Rose's intervention- she thought she had made a connection with the vampire today, that they had found an understanding given all of this surrounding Slater, but she had been wrong.

"She lied," Damon pointed out unnecessarily. Elena was too busy glaring at him to notice that Alice had approached them, looking mesmerised by Damon.

"Damon Salvatore!" She cried, sounding awestruck, but Damon waved her away.

"Get rid of her!" He fired at Rose. Rose complied and dragged a protesting Alice out of the room, leaving Damon alone with Elena. They glared at each other for a moment and Elena was wrestling with the twin urges of wanting to kiss him and to kill him. He would never understand why she was doing this- he would _refuse_ to understand, in fact, and do everything he could to get in her way, even if it meant that he would end up dead,

"Come on," Damon snapped, "We're leaving." Elena refused.

"I'm not going with you," She insisted.

"You do not get to make decisions anymore." She was actually taken aback by him grabbing her arm and yanking her with him as easily as if she weighed nothing. He wasn't even being particularly gentle, which was unusual for him and the way he would normally handle her.

"This _is_ my decision, Damon! I know you want to save me but I don't want to be saved!" He wasn't listening to her. Elena planted her feet, giving enough resistance to make Damon look back at her and then stop, though he did not let go of her wrist, which she was sure would bruise under his grip soon.

"You get your ass out that door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out there myself." His tone was deadly level and serious, and she knew he would do it. He was angry enough not to care whether or not he hurt her. But Elena felt a surge of her own fury- anger and frustration that he could thwart her plan so easily, that they would all work against her wishes to protect her and therefore end up dead themselves- it was too much. Blindly, she threw all her weight behind her other fist, aiming for him. She had never wanted to hurt Damon before but she had to take this out on somebody!

Damon caught her fist in his hand and gripped it tightly, threatening to crush the bones in her hand as he stepped in towards her. Elena had never been afraid of Damon before but something in his ice blue eyes then was brutal, powerful and dangerous. She felt cold. His face began to change, the veins around his eyes getting darker and standing out against his skin as the pupils blackened and his eyes became bloodshot. Elena cowered from him and he let her go, staring her down for a minute, before his face returned to normal.

"We are leaving here." She knew whatever he had wanted to say had been much worse, but Damon held it in. Instead, he walked past her back into the apartment. Elena followed him on trembling legs.

* * *

The girl, Alice apparently, was all over him from the second he re-entered the room that Rose was keeping her in. Damon was angry and hurt enough to kill and he did not have much patience for the human girl's excitement, but he took her through to the bedroom, where he compelled her to have a dreamless sleep and forget everything that had happened. He told Elena and Rose as much when he returned to the living room where they were waiting. Elena had seemed genuinely afraid of him, a feeling he did not like- his vampire instincts made him enjoy scaring people, usually, as it made the hunt more thrilling, but Elena was not and never had been his prey.

Before the three of them could get anywhere, however, the front door burst open and three men entered the apartment, none of them familiar.

"We're here to meet the doppelganger," One of them announced.

"Thank you for coming," Elena chipped in, making to head over to them. Damon shoved her back before she got more than a couple of steps towards them though.

"I will break your arm," He hissed, meaning it, "There's nothing here for you." He addressed the man that had spoken, whoever he was. But at that, one of the vampires, standing slightly behind the man who had spoken, dropped dead, and then something whirled towards them. But before that, there was a frozen moment in time when Damon saw the person responsible; it was Elijah, the Original. When he stopped in front of them, Rose started; she vamped out of the apartment in the blink of an eye.

"I killed you," Damon blurted out, "You were dead." He had nailed him to a door with a stake through his heart, how could anybody be more dead than that?

"For centuries now," Elijah quipped dryly, with a flourish. "Who are you?" He questioned the man who had spoken to them before. Damon had assumed he was Elijah's minion, but apparently not.

"Who are _you_?" The man returned.

"I'm Elijah," The two magic words which caused fear.

"We were gonna bring her to you," The first guy said immediately, "For Klaus. She's the doppelganger. I don't know how she exists, but she does. Klaus will want to see her," He was babbling on, clearly afraid. Elijah was impossible to read though, as he remained perfectly composed.

"Does anyone else know that you're here?" He asked in a measured voice.

"No."

"Well, then you have been incredibly helpful." Before anybody could blink, Elijah shoved his hands into both of the remaining vampire's chests. They grunted as he yanked their hearts out through their chest before falling uselessly to the floor, dead. Elijah unceremoniously dropped their hearts to the floor after their owners. Damon steeled himself, waiting for the inevitable fight that he was going to face with the Original himself, but then Elijah simply turned and vamped out of the apartment without another word. He was left alone with Elena, the silence ringing in their ears. He had left them alone, but why? Damon didn't give himself time to think about it. He looked over at Elena.

"Let's go," He said, and this time she didn't argue. She got into the passenger seat of his car, given that Rose had taken Elena's, and for a while neither of them spoke. Damon wondered how the plan with Katherine in the tomb had worked out without him there. He'd never explained to Stefan where he was going but he knew his brother would understand if he knew what Elena had tried to do.

"You shouldn't have interfered," Elena mumbled after a while.

"I disagree," Damon retorted.

"And you shouldn't have threatened me," She added.

"What are you gonna do about it?" He snapped, but when she winced he felt terrible. He had lost control of his temper with her and had scared her to her bones. He never wanted to make Elena feel like that but he had been so angry and so miffed that she would do that without even mentioning it to him. Without even trying to say goodbye.  
"I'm sorry," He said, after a pause.

"No," Elena replied softly, "I get it. I hurt you." He couldn't look at her when she said that. It was true, that was how he felt. They lapsed back into silence but by that time it wasn't so far to Mystic Falls. Damon dropped Elena off at her house and walked her to her porch.

"Thank you for dropping me home," She sighed, looking at him sadly.

"Well your ride left you. I didn't want to leave you stranded," Damon shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant even though they both knew it wasn't true.

"She was just scared. She didn't mean to run," Elena said about Rose.

"Yes she did. She's been running for five hundred years," He reminded her, though he supposed he didn't really blame Rose. She had not long been free of being hounded by the Originals for allowing Katherine to escape Klaus.

"I can't believe Elijah's alive," Elena mused, why do you think he killed those vampires and let us go?" Now that they were back home, Damon supposed they had to begin the questioning process. How was Elijah alive? Were the Originals really that different from ordinary vampires or was there more to it than that?

"If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprised me," He joked, because he didn't know the answer to these questions any better than she did. Not so long ago, Elijah had been keen to get his hands on Elena and hand her over to his brother, Klaus. Why the change of heart? Something just didn't add up about this. Elena turned towards the door but Damon caught her by the arm, spinning her back around to face him, but she hissed in pain. He looked down and saw that he had bruised her wrist earlier when he'd grabbed her. He suddenly felt sick and he let her go, his resurgence of sudden anger ebbing.

"I'm really sorry that I scared you, Elena," If she didn't accept his apology he would never be able to forgive himself. She had been in danger of him for the first time and he was supposed to be protecting her.

"Damon…" She looked up at him hesitantly. He knew what she was going to say; that they weren't together, they couldn't have these moments, the moments that meant everything to him… So before she could speak, he cut her off by kissing her.

Elena was frozen for a moment, taken by surprise, and he wondered if she would push him away. If she did, he would of course leave, but she surrendered instead, kissing him back. He felt himself shudder at her warmth as he pulled her close. He had missed this more than anything else, the feeling that she was really his. When they broke apart, both of their breathing was heavy. Damon didn't let go of Elena's waist.

"I love you," He told her, "Never do anything so stupid ever again." She was staring back into his eyes but he saw the same glimmer of sadness as before in hers.

"I don't question why you and Stefan and everyone else tries so hard to save me. You shouldn't question why _I_ would save all of you." He thought about this for a minute and Elena used the momentary pause to extract herself from him, about to turn towards the door, but he responded:

"But I do question when you started giving up so easily. That's not the Elena I know." He knew he had surprised her by saying that, because she turned around with a shocked expression on her face. But at that moment, the front door opened and Jeremy was standing there. His gaze went over Elena's head and to Damon, and his expression told him immediately that something was wrong.

"What?" Damon asked quickly.

"It's Stefan."

So, Stefan was stuck in the tomb. Elena and Damon sped towards Fell's Church. She jumped out of the car almost before it had stopped moving and ran towards the ruins of the church, down the steps to the tomb, calling Stefan's name. Damon got out of the car, closed the doors and vamped after her, arriving just in time to pull her back as she was about to try and enter the tomb herself. He held her against the wall of the tomb and she struggled uselessly against his strength.

"Don't you dare," He warned through gritted teeth.

"Stefan's in there, Damon!" She cried blindly at him, "How could you let this happen?"

"What are you talking about? I was busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission!" He glared at her.

"You didn't even have to go after the moonstone in the first place!" Damon resisted the urge to scream out loud in frustration and instead managed to muster up some control over his voice.

"It was the right call, Elena," He told her firmly.

"How was any of this the right call?" Clearly distraught, she began beating her fists against his chest, screaming at Damon to let go of her, but he ignored her protests, keeping still and calm. Eventually she would get tired and then he could get her out of here. He was right, although it took a while- Elena eventually stopped struggling and she looked up at him desperately: "Please," She pleaded.

"Are you done?" He released her from his grip, backing up a couple of steps. Predictably, Elena immediately made a move towards the tomb again, but he stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Don't." Elena recognised this as a final order and cried out in frustration before storming away. Damon breathed, letting her go, and heard the sound of quiet movement behind him. He turned and Stefan was approaching the entrance.  
"Of all the idiot plans, Stefan," He said to his brother. They shouldn't have put so much faith into Bonnie's magic.

"Yeah," Stefan agreed tiredly.

"I'll find a way to get you out." If Damon had been in Stefan's position he probably would have already broken Katherine's neck twelve times.

"Ah, it's alright," Stefan sighed, "I'll handle myself. Bonnie has the moonstone- work with her. Try to figure out how to de-spell it." Damon looked at his younger brother for a long moment.

"You martyr yourself in a tomb and I get partnered with a semi-competent witch. Wonderful," He added sarcastically, feeling a little disgusted with the way everything had planned out today. It had truly been a nightmare from start to finish- other than kissing Elena, of course.

"Keep Elena away from here," Stefan told him, as if he needed telling. Elena was clearly not thinking straight these days and the last thing they needed was a very human Elena being locked up in a tomb with a starving Katherine.

"I'll protect her, Stefan. You know that." Stefan nodded. They had reached an understanding about Elena and with that, the brothers had finally begun to rebuild the relationship they had lost due to the very woman Stefan was now imprisoned with. Damon nodded in return to his brother and then departed, but not before he heard Katherine's voice from the depths of the tomb:

"You'll never win the girl that way, Stefan."

* * *

 **A/N: So we got to see a little more of angry, bloodthirsty Damon in this chapter. I hope you liked it, please drop me some feedback if you have time :)**


	55. Dog Slobber

**Chapter Fifty-Five: Dog Slobber**

Bonnie came around to see Elena a few days later, but immediately she was met with the impression that her best friend was actually just there to keep an eye on her. Elena had not really spoken to anybody since they had made the trip to Richmond, angry that they were all refusing to understand where she was coming from.  
"We're going to find another way," Bonnie insisted as Elena sulked. They were sitting on her bed.

"And when Klaus gets wind of that you're all dead," Elena responded moodily. Bonnie sighed and reached into her bag and pulled out the moonstone, holding it up so that it's translucent surface caught the light.

"There's no reason Klaus will find out," Bonnie stated calmly, putting the moonstone down between them. Elena looked at it thoughtfully.

"Now that you've got it back, what are you gonna do with it?" She asked.

"Right now, it's what's binding the Sun and the Moon Curse. If I can figure out a way to remove the spell from the stone, the stone becomes useless." All Elena heard was the word 'if'. She was past feeling disturbed and freaked out by her part in the curse and now felt oddly peaceful about it all, accepting it as the only course of action.

"And according to Katherine, Klaus becomes vengeful," Anybody who could scare Katherine was somebody they should avoid getting on the wrong side of.

"Maybe," Bonnie answered mildly, "If he finds out."

"Bonnie, can't this wait? Stefan is stuck in the tomb, we've got to get him out!" Elena said emphatically.

"Stefan wants me to focus on this." Typical Stefan. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Don't listen to him. He thinks he's protecting me, but he's wrong," She had thought about going to visit Stefan and talk this over with him, but so far she had decided it against it. She didn't really want to talk about anything in front of Katherine, after all.

"I'm taking Stefan's side with this one," Bonnie replied firmly, "We're not gonna let you get used in some creepy sacrifice ritual." And so, Elena's one hope was gone. She knew that if Bonnie was willing to side with Stefan and Damon that she had no hope of any kind of support.  
Jeremy was just as vocal in his denouncement of what he called Elena's 'suicide mission', and he told her so at every opportunity, including when Bonnie had left the room to get coffee. Jeremy shook his head at her in clear disappointment, something which made her stomach churn. She never wanted to hurt her younger brother, but she wanted him to be safe and as long as she was alive, he wasn't; none of them were.

It had not escaped her notice, however, that Bonnie had slid the moonstone back into her bag before leaving the room. Her mind still on Stefan, Elena had an idea. Quietly, once Jeremy's back was turned, she slipped the moonstone out of Bonnie's bag and into her pocket and grabbed her car keys.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie was at the bottom of the stairs as Elena began to make her way out.

"Um, to see Stefan," Elena replied.

"You're lying." She'd never been able to lie to Bonnie in all the years they'd been friends. Still, she had no choice.

"No, I'm not."

"Well, tell your face," Bonnie quipped. Elena bit her lip.

"She took the moonstone," Jeremy's voice joined the din, silencing Elena's further insistence that she was just going to pay a visit to Stefan. She turned to look at her brother, stumped. She had definitely been caught out now.

"How did you…?"

"We tested you, and you failed," Bonnie answered flatly.

So, Elena was trapped inside, a prisoner in her own home, just as much as Stefan was a prisoner in the tomb. She threw herself at the invisible magical barrier all over the house to no avail, until eventually she had to give up. For the moment, she was trapped.  
Over the course of the day, she had a lot of time to stew, so by the time Damon arrived she had built up a head of steam.

"You should really lock your door," He quipped, as he stepped into the living room. Elena pulled a face. She couldn't get rid of him but she wished she could, "Oh come on pouty. At least give me points for ingenuity," Of course there had been no way Bonnie and Jeremy had come up with the plan to spell her inside on their own- Damon was the most unshakeable of them all in his quest to prevent her from doing what she thought was right.

"Do you think this is funny?" Elena snapped.

"Yes, I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save your life," He responded sarcastically. Elena continued to scowl. She had never once asked him to save her, after all.

"What does Stefan say about this?" Damon sighed, sitting himself lazily beside her on the couch and putting his arm around her carelessly. Even in the depths of her frustration, Elena felt the familiar tug of desire that she always felt whenever Damon was close to her. However, she staunchly ignored it.

"We had a good laugh about it," Damon said, with a slightly threatening air about him. Elena sighed and stood up, not wanting to be so near to him.

"And what did he say about Elijah being alive?"

"I didn't tell him."

It soon became clear that things were only going from bad to worse. There was no chance of Elena escaping with both Damon and Jeremy watching her and then, on top of that, Alaric called with the news that Mason Lockwood had been officially declared as a missing person. At this point, none of them had really thought about Mason for a while given everything else going on, despite the fact that tonight would be Tyler's first full moon as a werewolf.

"Apparently some girl from Florida turned up looking for Mason," Damon said grimly, once he'd hung up the call.

"What girl?" Elena asked the same question she had heard Damon ask on the phone to Alaric.

"Nobody knows, but I have to check this out," He looked over at Jeremy, "Your turn to babysit."

The day passed depressingly slowly. The sun beat down outside brightly and warmly and Elena started to wish she could just be out in it for the sake of it. She passed most of the excruciatingly boring hours in her room. She tried to read for a bit but when that couldn't occupy her, she gave up and headed downstairs, where she found Jenna rifling through the closet.  
"Hey, what are you doing?" Elena asked her aunt, the only person she wasn't currently angry at.

"Perfect timing," Jenna said, thrusting a box into her arms. Elena took it, confused.

"What is this stuff?" There seemed to be a bunch of files and papers inside.

"Your mom's files from the Historical Society. I got roped into helping Mrs Lockwood and by roped I mean very excited to participate," Jenna quipped sarcastically. Elena couldn't help but chuckle at her aunt's predictable sardonic reaction to any overly pious town events. Her smile fell from her face, however, when Jenna closed the closet door to reveal Elijah standing behind it. Elena froze but then, prompted by Elijah's pointed look and greeting, she forced herself to act naturally in front of her aunt.

"Hey, I'm Elijah," He greeted her.

"Elijah's in town doing research on Mystic Falls," Jenna informed her.

"It's a pleasure," Elena managed to say, as Elijah came closer to her and held out his hand. They shook hands and Elena felt a prickle of nerves and fear run down her spine. Although she wanted to hand herself over to Klaus and Elijah was probably the only way of doing that, she was still alarmed to realise an Original had been invited into her home.

"So you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff, or Elena and I could help you load it into your car," Jenna offered in a friendly way.

"Or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow," Elijah suggested politely in return.

"Also a good plan," Jenna agreed.

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home Jenna. Elena…" He added, looking at her meaningfully, "I hope to see you again sometime soon." Swallowing and fighting to control her breathing, Elena waited until the front door closed behind Elijah before bolting up the stairs. She banged on Jeremy's door but even as she did that, she felt him grab her wrist. Scared, Elena tried to shake him off, but then Jeremy opened his bedroom door.

"What is it?" Her brother asked. Elena glanced at where Elijah was hiding beside the door, motioning at her not to reveal his presence.

"Jenna was just asking me to get you to help with the boxes," Elena was relieved that her words came out fairly convincingly and not garbled and panicked. Jeremy heeded what she said and headed downstairs, leaving her alone with the Original vampire. Taking a deep breath, Elena beckoned Elijah to her room, where she closed the door behind them. He looked around with some interest at his surroundings, taking in everything, before he turned to speak to her.

"Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm," He informed her simply. He seemed very calm and yet purposeful at the same time. Something about the way he spoke made Elena believe his words, although he still made her nervous.

"Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" It hadn't made any sense to her at the time and she hadn't been able to figure it out since. Nobody had seemed very interested in discussing it with her, either.

"Because I didn't want you to be taken," Elijah replied, "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that the doppelganger exists there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that." Elena frowned. Although there was something about Elijah that made him seem sincere, something also didn't ring true.

"Isn't that what you're trying to do?"

"Let's just say that my goal isn't to break the curse."

"Then what is your goal?" What Elena heard next left her reeling, but it fit into place. Elijah _wasn't_ trying to have her killed, he revealed; he was using her to lure Klaus out of hiding and then he was going to kill him. But the integral part of his plan was that Elena had to remain where she was.

"Elena," Elijah said, "I am willing to make you a deal."

* * *

The bright full moon in the sky told Damon that it was time for him to get inside. If Tyler Lockwood got loose, his life may be at stake.  
So, he had located the girl who was looking for Mason; her name was Jules, and she was a werewolf. He and Alaric had tried to lure her out with wolfsbane, assuming it would work as vervain did on them, but she hadn't taken the bait. He was thinking solely about werewolves as he drove home from the Grill, refusing to think any more about Elena's plans to allow herself to be used to break the curse.

When he arrived home, he closed the door behind himself and then hesitated before turning around and, for the first time in a long time, locking it behind himself. Sighing, he headed into the library, needing a nice blood-bag, when he found himself faced with Rose.  
"You just can't stay away, can you?" Although part of him hadn't blamed her, he had felt a little betrayed when she had simply fled at the sight of Elijah, knowing that he and Elena were probably going to end up dead. It didn't matter that it hadn't worked out that way- it was just that Rose had, somehow, come to be counted among his friends. She had certainly been a lot of help to them all and, he admitted deep down, a comfort to himself. She wholeheartedly supported his love of Elena, after all, and given how badly things had been going between them, Rose was pretty much all he had

"You don't answer your phone," Rose replied. He had noticed her calls but he had been too angry to speak to her.

"What do you want?" He snapped.

"I wanted to apologise," She said, a little beseechingly.

"Just admit it- you don't have anywhere else to go," Damon taunted meanly.

"I'm sorry about Elena. I wasn't thinking straight, I didn't know that she had a death wish- but I called you. I tried to make it right, okay? I'm sorry Damon. And," She sighed, "I have nowhere else to go." He looked across at her for a moment, debating whether to forgive her or send her packing, when the sound of glass smashing in the living room distracted them.

He and Rose rushed to the living room. At first there was no sign of any damage, but then, with a great shuddering, the window broke into smithereens as a wolf leapt through the glass. Barely having time to think, Damon seized one of the swords hanging on the wall- probably a genuine antique as opposed to just being decorated- and made a swing for the wolf, which was lunging for him. Then, quickly, Rose was shoving him out of the way. The wolf connected with her rather than him then and sank its teeth into her shoulder. Damon stabbed at it with the sword. Howling in pain, the wolf rolled across the floor and then jumped back out the window just as suddenly as it'd come.

Damon stood in the silence for a second, looking at all the glass shards lying across the floor, but then he remembered and dropped the sword, bending down beside Rose, who looked scared. The wound in her shoulder was nasty looking.

"How bad is it?" Damon asked her, his anger forgotten.

"It hurts," Rose groaned. Damon looked at the bite more closely. Before his eyes, the wound began to fuse back together, healing. When he told Rose this, she grabbed his arm, her eyes welling up. "Oh my god, I thought a werewolf bite was fatal…." She choked out, "I thought…" The first sob escaped her. Damon hated crying women, but he would allowed her to cry for this; he had thought exactly the same thing when he saw the wolf sink its teeth into her. So rather than tell her to pull herself together or walking away, Damon hugged her.

When daybreak came, Damon called Caroline. The blonde answered his call on the first ring.  
"How did it go?" He asked her immediately.

"It went… well, Tyler isn't exactly okay, but he will be," He rolled his eyes at the idea that Caroline thought he cared about Tyler Lockwood's wellbeing.

"Did he escape?" He asked bluntly.

"No… no, why?" Obviously something in his voice had alerted her to the fact that there was a problem.

"A wolf got in here last night and bit Rose- she's okay, it seems like the whole werewolf bite being fatal for us isn't true- but if Tyler didn't escape then…"

"There's another wolf in town?" Caroline asked, sounding alarmed.

"Yeah. Her name is Jules and she came here looking for Mason."

"Nobody tells me anything!" Caroline complained, "Well, anyway, Tyler didn't get out so it has to have been her."

"Right. Thanks, Care," He added, shutting off the call, his brain whirring. Rose returned to the room then wearing a bathrobe, having previously announced that she needed to wash the 'dog slobber' off herself.

"So it was Jules," Rose concluded, after he'd explained his conversation with Caroline.

"Yeah. I picked a fight with her, I'm sorry. She was coming after me," He told her.

"All's well that ends well," She indicated her shoulder, "It seems to have healed." Damon smiled, relieved. His face struggled to move the muscles, given how long it'd been now since he'd had a real reason to smile. It was times like these where it'd be so easy to just flip the switch… Rose was watching him. "You should get yourself a punch-bag of some sort," She told him.

"What for?"

"To get out all those pent up frustrations," She smirked. Damon raised his eyebrows.

"I can think of better ways of doing that," He said suggestively. Rose's mouth twitched but she gave him a reproving look.

"You know if you'd tried that line on me the first night I came here it might have worked," She informed him, "But you missed the boat, my friend. Nope, I am here to assist you with operation get-Elena-back now."

"Do I even want her back?" He asked flippantly.

"Are you listening to yourself?" Rose replied. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He needed to sleep and he needed to get away from all of this insanity.

"Look, the girl has some sort of death wish and the only way to stop her from getting it is to keep her under lock and key- it's hardly helping my case, Rose," He added heatedly.

"At least she's alive. She will appreciate that one day." He gave a helpless laugh and reached over to pat her on the shoulder.

"Let's hope we all live to see that day," He joked, but the words died in his throat as Rose winced in pain as he touched her.

"That hurt," She murmured, cringing. It was the same shoulder that Jules had bitten which appeared to have healed. Slowly, Damon reached over and carefully pushed the bathrobe out of the way. Rose's skin underneath appeared blistered and diseased where she had been written, and the gangrene looked to be spreading. All of their relief vanished; what if the rumours about werewolf bites had been true after all?

* * *

"I still don't like this." Elena had convinced Elijah to let Stefan out of the tomb in exchange for her good behaviour- that was, to do nothing and wait for Klaus to come and find her so that Elijah could kill him. It was a dangerous plan but it was an agreement nonetheless- one that would keep her and her friends safe if she adhered to it- and that was the most important thing to Elena, so she planned to stick to it by the letter.

"Stefan, everything is right with the world now. Katherine is locked in the tomb…" She sighed, walking around his room at the boarding house. She had rarely, if ever, been in here and it was strange how different he was to Damon. Damon's belongings were selective and sparse, whereas Stefan kept everything that was important to him in this room.

"You're still Klaus' little human sacrifice," Stefan reminded her.

"Yes, but Elijah is keeping me and everyone else safe." She put down the book she had picked up to look around at him.

"Katherine said Isobel might know something," Stefan began, not for the first time. He had filled her in on everything Katherine had said in that tomb as they had driven back from it. Elena shook her head and opened his bedroom door, calling across the hallway.

"Damon!" He was slow to respond to his name and when he emerged from his room, he looked dishevelled and tired. Elena produced the vervain she had brought around and waved it at the Salvatore brothers.

"Damon, this was Stefan's idea and you don't have to do it. But Elijah compelled Katherine, and if he can compel other vampires…" Damon looked over at his brother.

"Katherine built up a tolerance so I figure it's worth a try," Stefan shrugged. Damon said nothing, just accepted his glass of vervain water. He and Stefan coughed and spluttered as they ingested the herb, but neither of them stopped. Damon didn't really look at Elena; he seemed very distracted by something.

"Isobel is the only one who might know what it means to be an Original," Stefan continued as Damon exited the room, "We have to ask her. Elijah might stick to his deal or he might not, but either way we're no match for him at all if we don't know anything about his nature- and that goes for Klaus too."

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter! Reviews would be very welcome so please leave me some!**


	56. Goodbye Rose

**Chapter Fifty-Six: Goodbye Rose**

Rose was undeniably getting sicker as the hours ticked by. She was resting on the sofa in the library, her favourite room of the house. Damon brought her some blood, but he had to admit he felt a little lost. He had overheard Elena and Stefan discussing her deal she'd made with Elijah, which worried him, and on top of that he felt terribly guilty. It was his fault Rose was going through this, there was no way around that.

"You know, I was born in 1450," Rose informed him.

"Well, if you were a bottle of wine…" He quipped.

"So I can die. I've lived long enough," She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

"You know if you're gonna be morbid I'm just gonna kill you myself to put me out of your misery," Damon threatened. If he kept making jokes then the situation wouldn't seem so serious. They still didn't know for sure that werewolf bites were fatal, after all. As it was, he decided to work on the theory that blood would build Rose's strength up. So, he poured her a glass. "Come on, it's just a little werewolf bite," He coaxed as she accepted the blood.

"Just a little, fatal to a vampire werewolf bite," Rose scoffed weakly.

"Well, according to legend, which is a notoriously unreliable source," Rose laughed, shaking her head before taking a drink of the blood. Damon watched her hopefully.

"Yeah, it does feel like it's working," Rose nodded, and he did see a little colour return to her cheeks.

"Let me have a look," Even though he'd asked for it, he still winced when he saw the bite mark. Rose turned to show him how it had spread down her back and it looked even more infected than before. He fought to keep his face straight.

"How is it?" Rose asked him anxiously.

"Definitely… better," He lied, just as Elena entered the room behind him, "Right, Elena?" He hadn't gotten around to actually telling Elena what'd happened, but he knew she deduced it from her expression of shock at the sight of Rose's wound.

"Um, it's not bad," Elena managed to say. He looked over at her. She looked very uncomfortable, though she had obviously come to him for a reason.

"Where's Stefan?" She had definitely become closer to Stefan recently. He had taken his brother's promise not to try and win Elena over for himself seriously and he almost trusted him, but he missed Elena. He needed her now, with all that was going on with Rose, and she needed him even if she didn't want to admit it.

"He left," She replied, "I need you to talk to him. He's convinced that he has to find Isobel but I think that's gonna upset Elijah." He thought that Elena was more worried about seeing Isobel for her own reasons than anything else. He could understand, after all that had gone on the last time she had seen her vampire birth mother, but he thought that the more they knew about this moonstone and the curse the better.

"I'll tell him how you feel, Elena, but if finding Isobel is the only way we can figure this thing out then that's what we're going to have to do," He came a few steps closer to her, trying to look into her eyes, but she was distracted by the sight of Rose. "Would you uh, mind sitting in here for a while?" He asked her quietly.

"That isn't necessary," Rose called.

"Yes, it is," Damon stated firmly. He didn't want Rose to be alone when she died and he didn't know how long it would be before she did. He side-stepped Elena and headed out of the room. If anything he just needed to get out of the house for a while before he went insane, let alone everything else that needed to be done.

"Damon…" Elena had followed him out, her voice soft as she called after him. He turned around to face her, "Is she gonna die?"

"Probably," There was no point lying about it at this stage, "The wolf bite caused some sort of infection and it's getting worse." He didn't want Rose to overhear this so he kept his voice quiet, though he was sure she was perfectly aware of what was happening to her. He could tell she was afraid of dying and he didn't want to make it worse, especially when she was only dying because she tried to protect him.

"Like poison?" Elena asked, frowning.

"I don't know, Elena. I'm not an expert in the field," He replied tiredly. She bit her lip sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"Death happens," He said ruthlessly, with a nonchalance he didn't feel, "We come, we go. Sooner she dies the better- it's gloomy as hell in here." He was aiming to leave but Elena took his hand, tugging on it gently. Damon reluctantly turned around to look at her.

"Damon, you don't have to pretend not to be hurt," She murmured. Hadn't he told her something very similar once before? He looked down at her. He felt like he was on the precipice of a never-ending cliff drop, his emotions a blur, but something about her brown eyed gaze steadied him a little.

"I'll be just fine, Elena. Don't worry about me," He promised, knowing it wouldn't make a difference to her concern for him.

* * *

When Elena re-entered the living room, Rose was shivering.  
"Pathetic, isn't it?" The English vampire laughed, her teeth chattering.

"Come on," Elena said, with a tug of sympathy. She led a shaky Rose up the stairs and into the room Rose had been staying in. She hadn't had many possessions, given how long she had been on the move, so the room was sparse, but Elena tucked her into the warm bed.

"I haven't had a cold in five centuries," Rose complained, "We don't get sick. When we die it's fast and sudden and it's certainly not drawn out in illness."

"You're not gonna die," Elena told her, with a wrench.

"Such a human thing to say," Rose chuckled. Elena sat down on the edge of the bed. Maybe she should have taken her to Damon's room, which was more hospitable, but the big bed she had slept in herself so many times was a haven she didn't want spoilt by death, no matter how selfish that might seem. Rose didn't seem to mind, though.

"You're lucky, you know. No-one's ever loved me the way Damon loves you." Elena supposed she wasn't surprised that Rose was bringing this of all things up with her- she and Damon were good friends now, after all.

"I doubt that," Elena responded. Who wouldn't love Rose?

"Trevor was my best friend, nothing more. I spent all those years on the run from Elijah- I just never thought it was a good idea to set up roots," She seemed like she was about to continue but then she changed her mind, watching Elena. The latter was picking at a loose thread in the covers. "Why are you so eager to give up?" Rose asked her finally.

"I'm not giving up on anything," Elena insisted, sounding miserable to her own ears.

"What do you call this whole deal with Elijah?"

"I call it my best option," Elena replied, a little defensively.

"I call it your easiest option," That was a blow. Elena had had the same thought, late at night when she couldn't sleep; everybody else was determined to find another way out of this curse- by dismantling it, eliminating it's components, by hiding Elena- but allowing Elijah to kill Klaus was the most certain way. Nobody else had to get hurt as long as she stuck to her agreement. "At least I ran," Rose was saying sleepily, "You're not even trying." It stung, but perhaps only because a part of Elena felt that this was true.

She watched as Rose's eyes drifted shut. Meaning to leave her to sleep, Elena rose and made to leave, but then Rose spoke.  
"No, stop, wait- tell them to ready the horses!" She called.

"It's okay, Rose," Elena told her, thinking she was talking in her sleep, "Just get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up," And if she didn't wake up, at least the pain would be over for her.

"Trevor, don't be so stupid. You're never going to make it there before the sun." Elena frowned but then shrugged- Rose must be having a fever dream. But then suddenly Rose sat bolt upright, eyes open, clearly pained. "Elena! Elena I need more blood!" Elena hurried over to Rose with the glass of blood that Damon had left with her. Rose drank deeply but then immediately began coughing all the blood back up, sending it spraying all over herself and the bed.

"It's okay," Elena tried to sooth, "Everything's gonna be alright!" She hurried to the bathroom to try and get something to clean up all the blood with and maybe some water. When she got back to the room, Rose was not in bed. "Rose?" She called, worried. She turned around to find Rose standing right behind her, looking angry. She grabbed Elena and shoved her against the wall so that she couldn't move. Elena had no chance of fighting Rose.

"It's all your fault, Katerina," Rose accused, "You, Katerina, you did this!" Elena gulped, alarmed. Rose's lips peeled back to reveal sharp fangs and the veins around her eyes were darkening with fury.

"It's Elena! Rose, I'm Elena!"

"You betrayed us!" Rose growled.

"I'm not Katherine!" Elena cried, scared. If she could not convince Rose to snap out of this delusion then she was in big trouble- neither Stefan nor Damon were around and she couldn't fight Rose. But after a moment, Rose released her. Slowly, the veins around her eyes faded and her pupils seemed to focus more sharply.

"Elena?" Rose asked.

"It's me, it's Elena," She repeated, with a gasp of relief.

"Oh my God, Elena, I'm so sorry! I don't know what's happening to me," Rose said, looking horrified, her voice cracking on the last word, "My mind, I'm…"

"It was only for a second," Elena tried to reassure her, though she was shaken. She was trying to usher Rose back to bed.

"I'm sorry," Rose said again, "Don't be scared of me."

"I'm not, I'm not, but you need to rest." Rose lay back on the bed, shivering slightly. She looked truly afraid now, far more than she had before, and Elena wondered what was going on. Was it normal to act that way after being bitten by a werewolf?

"I'm scared," Rose admitted, after a while.

"You're not alone. I'm right here," Elena squeezed her hand, feeling sorry for her.

"Here? Where's here?" She was becoming disoriented again, which worried Elena a little. What if she mistook her for Katherine and attacked again? However, Rose's strength was fading as she watched.

"The Salvatore house- Damon's house," Elena replied soothingly. Rose swallowed.

"I want to go home… St Austell, thirty kilometres south of London… With fields and trees and horses…" Rose smiled a little at the distant memories of days long gone.

"Sounds beautiful," Elena muttered.

"It's not there anymore. When you live long enough everything disappears. So much time wasted. I just wish I wouldn't have been so afraid… I wish I'd been brave, like you," Elena stared down at the vampire wordlessly. Rose seemed to be falling into something of a troubled sleep. She had never thought of herself as brave, really, just as somebody who kept going no matter how hard the going got… but Rose had already told her she thought she was taking the easy way out. Elena sighed as she left Rose alone; the vampire must have thought she was somebody else again.

* * *

Damon located Jules within the busy Mystic Grill within seconds of entering. She was sat eating at a table alone. He was going to get her for what she had done- the full moon was waning now and so her advantage over him was robbed. He began to advance towards her but Stefan blocked his path.  
"What are you doing here?" Damon demanded, eyes still on Jules.

"Waiting for you. Listen, there's a lot of people here," Stefan pointed out all the crowds sitting around ordering food and drinks.

"Oh damn," Damon said sarcastically, "There goes my plan to rip her spleen through her neck. Seriously, brother, you can quit worrying about me. I'm just here to have a friendly chat with the bitch." He couldn't resist the female dog pun- it helped blow off a tiny bit of his steam. Stefan sighed and surrendered as his phone rang, getting out of his way. Damon sauntered over to Jules' table and took a seat right opposite her, so quickly that she only saw him once he was already seated comfortably.

"Well if it isn't the one I meant to kill… I'll have to get that right next time," She told him.

"Well that's not very nice, is it? No way for a she-wolf to behave," He scolded her delicately. Jules slammed her knife and fork down and glared at him across the table.

"How _is_ your lady friend? Bearing up?" She jibed.

"If you don't watch your tongue I'll cut it out," Damon hissed.

"I'm not scared of you," Jules told him obstinately. Damon raised an eyebrow at her.

"Then you're an idiot. The full moon is gone, honey, and you won't live to see another one… unless," He watched her facial expressions closely, wondering how far she could be pushed, "Unless you tell me the cure."

"The cure?" Jules snorted, "Bite me." She made to stand up and leave but Damon easily reached across the table, grabbing her arm and jerking her back into a sitting position easily. Werewolves were strong but they were no match for a vampires' strength off of a full moon.

"If there's a cure, you'd better tell me," He urged her dangerously.

"There is only one cure," Jules growled, wrenching her arm out of his grip angrily, "Driving a stake through her heart."

No cure? There _had_ to be a cure. Of course Jules wasn't going to tell him what it was, because evidently she didn't value her life enough to spill the beans- or perhaps she didn't know. Damon stewed on this, swallowing bourbon and trying to think of anything he had heard anywhere, whether it be word of mouth or from myth and legend, about curing werewolf bites but he came up with nothing. Stefan hadn't returned, so he supposed he must have made some headway in tracking down Isobel.  
He didn't want to go back to the house. He had ignored Elena's calls all evening, but he knew he couldn't leave her alone with Rose much longer. And so, he took his leave from the Grill, heading home.

When he entered the house, the place was dark and quiet and Elena was standing before him, clutching a stake, looking terrified.  
"Are you okay?" He asked her immediately, rushing over to her, "Where's Rose?"

"I don't know," She murmured, glancing around through the shadows.

Damon listened with all his might but heard no sound of anybody else in the house, though he checked every room just to be sure. When he was certain Rose was no longer in the house, he returned to where Elena was stood in the living room, still clutching the stake and looking lost.  
"She kept thinking I was Katherine…it was like she was hallucinating, but it was getting worse," She explained, sounding traumatised as she relived Rose attacking her, "She just wasn't herself and then she must have gone somewhere…"

"Hey," Damon said, leading her gently over to the sofa and sitting her down, removing the stake from her hand, "She never would have wanted to hurt you,"

"I know, when she… when she was more herself, she kept apologising I just… Seeing her like that…" Damon nodded. He wouldn't like to see Rose, or anybody, really, in that kind of state. He also hated the idea that Elena had got caught in the crossfire- he should have been around to keep an eye on Rose. "Where do you think she went?" Elena asked him.

"I don't know, but she can't have gotten far in that condition," He told her. Privately, he thought they were likely to find out from the trail of bodies Rose was bound to leave behind her. Elena seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"We should look for her," She stated.

"I'll go. You stay here," Damon told her. Elena fixed him with a hard look.

"I'm coming with you," There was no point trying to argue with her, he could tell as much from the glint in her eyes, and so he allowed her to come along.  
"Do you think she's in the woods somewhere?" Elena asked as they headed outside. She was peering towards the trees that surrounded the Salvatore Boarding House.

"No. She'll be wherever there are people," Damon replied grimly. Elena was far past being surprised by that, she just stood by and waited for him to unlock his car before climbing into the passenger side. Damon began a slow drive, both he and Elena checking their surroundings just in case Rose was close by, but everything was quiet.

"What did Jules say about the cure?" Elena questioned gently after a while. They were approaching the centre of town now. Damon shrugged.

"There isn't one," He tried to sound like he didn't care.

"I'm sorry," Elena said, seeing right through his bravado as always.

"She said I should put her out of her misery," He admitted slowly, "Maybe…" They were interrupted by his phone ringing. Damon glanced down at the device and saw that it was Sheriff Forbes calling; he took it that they had found Rose after all.

* * *

The Sheriff's call took them to the school. While Damon was convening with the Sheriff, Elena tried to observe the damage whilst remaining inconspicuous. It seemed that a man had died and it was undeniably a vampire attack. Usually Elena was more scared for her friends and what might happen to them with a rampant vampire on the loose, but right then she was more afraid for Rose. If the Sheriff or any of the deputies found her, they would stake her- and really, none of this was her fault. Rose wouldn't be doing this if she hadn't been bitten. From what Elena had seen of the vampire's behaviour, the bite was affecting her mind, making her irrational and delusional.

She thought about calling Stefan to see where he was but she decided it against it as she found herself watching Damon. He played his part of concerned citizen very well.  
"Have you spoken to Stefan?" She asked him instead as he returned to her, "Do you know what he's doing?"

"He is not my priority right now," Damon said shortly, "Take this." He handed her a wooden stake. Elena turned it over in her hands, frightened; she didn't want to have to hurt Rose. However, she swallowed her fears and looked up at Damon, meeting his crystal eyes.  
"Come on."

Elena followed him towards the school. Students were around, talking about what had happened. The story going around was that the maintenance man that Rose had killed had had a heartattack. Damon was listening harder though, to things Elena's human ears couldn't pick up on. They were still crossing the parking lot when suddenly Damon vanished from her side. Elena blinked, confused, and looked around. Damon was now the other side of the parking lot beside a car, pinning a thrashing Rose to the ground. Elena ran over to them, wishing she could vamp over in an instant like Damon could.

"Rose!" Damon was saying, "Rose, it's me, it's Damon! Damon!" Elena watched as Rose's vampire face, complete with fangs and red eyes, receded as she seemed to return to herself, as as she had earlier. Rose looked at Damon and then turned her head to look at the body beside her. It was of a girl Elena didn't know. The body of a boy was strewn across the top of the car too. Rose let out a sob.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone…" She cried. Elena could feel her heart breaking for Rose, but her stomach was turned at the sight of the human bodies. She had seen plenty of dead vampires now but not so many dead humans.

"I'm sorry," Rose said to Elena weakly, "I'm so sorry." Elena wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she knew she hadn't been herself and hadn't meant to hurt anyone, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. Instead her gaze moved onto Damon, who was lifting Rose from the ground into his arms. It was the first time Elena had seen him show any real, genuine concern for anybody other than herself and she felt a pang of longing. She also felt, though she was almost too ashamed to admit it to herself, a little jealousy. Rose and Damon were just friends, but Elena missed Damon…

* * *

What Jules had said kept playing over and over in his head as he watched Rose scream and writhe in pain. He could tell that her condition was getting much, much worse and that it wouldn't be long. She was no longer safe to be around and so he had sent Elena home. She could probably do with a break from all of this given the day they'd all just had, and he didn't want her to see the worst of this. Rose opened her eyes and laughed weakly at him.  
"Who would've thought you'd be a nice guy?"

"I'm not nice. I'm mean," Damon insisted, "I like it."

"You're lying," Rose told him simply, though her words came with difficulty.

"Sssh, just sleep…" He reached out with his vampire senses, feeling Rose's presence. At full strength there was no way he could ever get into her head, what with her being several centuries older than he was and thus more mentally resilient, but as weak and tired as she was, it was easy. Remembering what Elena had told him about Rose's happiest memories, he sifted through her mind until he found the hazy human memories; of a bright meadow and Rose in a dress. She walked around a paddock lightly before hurrying to sit beside Damon.

In the waking world, Rose's struggling subsided and she began to breathe a little easier, though her breath still rattled. It made Damon shiver.

"Thank you," Rose was telling him in her dream as they sat on the grass together, enjoying the fresh air which to her felt so real.

"For what?" Damon asked her, feeling the finality in these moments.

"The pain's gone," Rose answered him with a smile. Damon tried to smile back.

"I'm glad,"

"Will I see them again? My family?" Damon as a human had thought that death was final. That was part of the reason becoming a vampire had so appealed; the chance to evade death, live forever, be powerful. That had been what he had wanted, when his own family; his dead mother, his abusive father and his eternally nicer and more noble younger brother, had made him feel worthless and useless. But becoming a vampire had made him realise he knew nothing at all about death.

"I think you'll see whoever you want to see," He told Rose.

"That'd be nice," Rose smiled, "Maybe I'll see Trevor too… I'm not afraid anymore." The last four words gave him the strength to do what he knew had to be done. He had known it since Jules had told him that there was no cure; he couldn't see Rose suffer through this for a single moment longer. Damon allowed the tears to flow as he pointed the stake at her heart- one of very few friends was leaving him so soon.

"I'll race you to the trees," Rose challenged in her dream, standing up.

"Well, you'll lose," Damon replied, smirking.

"I'm older and faster," She reminded him.

"Oh you think? Well I'm controlling this dream, maybe I'll cheat," He suggested. Rose laughed.

"One the count of three," She told him, getting ready, "One… two…"

The stake ripped through Rose's chest and straight into her heart. As her body shrivelled around it, Damon fell over her, weeping.

* * *

 **A/N: I spent so much time and effort on trying to get this chapter right because I think it's important to emphasise how rare it is for Damon to care this much about somebody outside of Elena, especially given that in this story Rose was never a romantic interest. Anyway, I want to say a big thank you to jairem in particular for reviewing! You have been so motivational for me! Please if you have a little time people, drop me a line letting me know what you think.**


	57. John's Return

**Chapter Fifty-Seven: John's Return**

"Stefan?" Elena had been lying on her bed, staring anxiously up at the ceiling, when her phone rang. It'd been an awfully long day and it wasn't quite over yet.

"Rose is dead," Stefan told her gently, "Damon mercy-killed her." She had the horrible sensation that she'd swallowed a lump of ice at this news. She didn't blame Damon for ending Rose's pain- Rose hadn't deserved to die in such a slow and painful way.

"Where is he now?" Elena asked Stefan, rolling off her bed and getting to her feet, hunting around for her shoes.

"He went to show her body to Sheriff Forbes to call off the hunt for any vampires, and then…"

"He has to bury her," Elena finished the sentence, knowing the drill by now. Shoes on, she was heading out of her bedroom door as they spoke, "Thanks for letting me know, Stefan."

"Of course," He replied, and they hung up. Downstairs, Elena encountered Jenna and Alaric in the living room, watching a movie. Jenna looked around in surprise and then glanced at her watch.

"It's kind of late to be going out now, Elena," Her aunt told her warningly.

"I know, it's…" Elena cast around for an excuse, a friend or somebody else she could claim needed her right then, but in the end she settled on the truth, "It's Damon." She glanced at Ric, who gave a slight jerking movement of his head, getting the gist of what had gone on. Jenna looked at Elena's expression and saw the real emotions on her niece's face.

"Alright, but drive safely," She conceded her permission, and Elena nodded unsmilingly before taking her leave. It was an unseasonably cold night outside, and Elena flicked the heat on in her car as she drove through the empty, quiet streets of Mystic Falls.  
She let herself into the Salvatore's house.

"Damon?" She called out, but got no answer; he couldn't have been back yet. She knew that with this loss, Damon could go one of two ways; he could pretend not to care at all, or he could go off the deep end and end up on a rampage. She didn't want either of those things for him, but she knew that to try to help him she needed to see him. She needed to know that he was okay.

A little while later, Damon finally came home. His expression was unreadable when he saw Elena waiting for him.  
"You aren't supposed to be here," He told her.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," Elena replied. He pulled a face until she held out the scotch she had poured in preparation for his return. He accepted it with a strange expression which then turned into a chuckle.

"Thank you, Elena," He said sincerely, but then he went on more soberly, "I'm just glad it's over."

"Damon, please don't try to brush this under the rug and act like this hasn't upset you," Elena pleaded softly. He watched her as he took a sip of scotch.

"It's a whole new day tomorrow, Elena. You should go home and get some rest," He began to head out of the room but she grabbed him, not knowing what else to do to make him stop and listen. Damon turned in slight surprise. He was doing a good job of hiding his emotions but he seemed a little listless all the same.

"Damon, I don't you to hurt alone," She said. He looked down at where her hand had closed around his wrist and then glanced back up at her, meeting her eyes.

"It would be a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have to feel at all," He told her quietly. Elena knew what he meant by that and let go; if he was talking about turning off his humanity… "It was supposed to be me, Elena. Jules was coming after me, not Rose, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life- a very long time, in order words."

"You feel guilty," Elena concluded.

"That would be human of me, wouldn't it, Elena? And I'm _not_ human. I don't _have_ to feel guilt, or pain, or any of it," Elena set her feet and looked him square in the eye.

"Then why _do_ you feel? Why _don't_ you just turn it all off?"

"That's the million dollar question," Damon drowned the rest of his scotch and placed the empty glass on a table, "Why don't you tell me the answer, Elena?" His eyes burned like blue flames as he stared her down, challenging her. Elena swallowed and took a deep breath to steady her voice before she answered:

"I think you don't want to lose the good parts. You don't want to lose feeling real happiness, or compassion, or love," She suggested, watching him closely for any reaction. Damon didn't say anything. "I think you were lonely for a long time and now that you're not alone, you don't want to go back to that."

"But I am alone," Damon said quietly, "I don't have your love."

"What?" Elena took a step towards him, horrified, "What the hell gave you that idea? Of course I love you, Damon, you know that! Why do you think I'm here?"

"I'd give you everything just because I love you, Elena, but you can't give me the one thing I ask- your forgiveness," Damon's accusation hit her hard, because she had no defence for it. Mason Lockwood's death felt like a thousand years ago by now, and she was no longer angry, having come to understand that it couldn't have truly ended any other way. A lot of the pieces of the puzzle had shifted in her mind since the day she'd decided to hand herself over to Klaus, but she had never opened up to Damon… why?

"Damon, I forgive you," She whispered, feeling her eyes welling up. Damon huffed and stomped past her, heading for the stairs. Elena gulped and followed him, running after him up the stairs and catching him as his foot hit the last step. He turned angrily, his shoulder catching Elena, who gasped as she felt his full strength. The next second, she was flying down the stairs backwards, eyes closed in anticipation of the pain which was never to come. Damon had vamped down the steps and caught her in his arms, looking alarmed.

"Are you alright?" He asked her quickly.

"Yes," She replied shakily, "Thank you." Damon set her back on her feet on the landing. The two looked at each other for a moment but then Damon awkwardly turned and made to go up the stairs. Elena continued to follow him and this time he did not try to stop her.

* * *

"You should go home," Damon said again, his voice hoarse, as Elena kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of his bed. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do himself; whether he wanted to sleep or go and rip somebody's throat out. Both were equally appealing, which was not helping his muddled thoughts.

"I'm not going anywhere," Elena stated firmly. He shrugged.

"Suit yourself." He was sure she had only said she forgave him because she felt sorry for him after Rose had died, but he didn't want her to take him back just out of pity and, unaccustomed as he was to having anybody really care about how he was feeling, he didn't want to feel the subject of anybody's pity. Still, secretly, a part of him was glad that Elena was staying with him even in his current state.  
He kicked off his own shoes and lay down on his bed, one arm behind his head. He could feel Elena watching him.

"I don't know if I can ever be who you want me to be, Elena," He muttered, after a while, "You want a nice guy who toes the line and always puts other people before himself? I know a guy exactly like that; my brother." He couldn't help sounding a little bitter at mentioning Stefan.

"But I don't want that, Damon. I want you," Elena said quietly. He snorted, "The good _and_ the bad parts, Damon."

"Elena, all I've wanted since the day I killed Mason was for you to say that but right now, I'm dealing with the fact my friend just got killed by a werewolf bite," He couldn't help the sarcasm in his voice. Elena sighed and lay down beside him, surprising him again.

"I'm sorry," She said, "I won't force this on you right now."

"But you're not going home?" He checked, not sure whether he wanted her to or not.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere," She replied, and he felt her fingers entwine themselves with his on the covers between them. They were pleasantly warm

"Stefan's not so perfect, anyway," Damon murmured sleepily a little while of comfortable silence later, "He tried to call Isobel."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Elena said moodily. It was morning and she had just returned back from the Salvatore Boarding House. She was planning just to shower and get clean clothes before heading back there but had been halted in her tracks by the sight of John Gilbert.

"Coffee?" John offered her as she headed into the kitchen. Elena ignored him, "You're giving me the silent treatment?"

"I asked you a question," Elena pointed out sharply. She hadn't played nice with her birth father the last time she'd seen him and she didn't plan to do so now, either.

"Stefan couldn't get hold of Isobel so he got the next best thing," John told her. Elena snorted.

"The next best thing to Isobel would have been _Katherine_ ," He was far enough down the rungs for her to say that after what he had tried to do to Damon, and his refusal to help them in the past.

"Look, I'm here to protect you, that's all I can tell you right now," Elena got a sense of satisfaction from seeing her insult had actually gotten to him.

"Right now?" She repeated the two words angrily.

"I'll tell you more when I'm convinced I can trust you." Elena was outraged at the idea of John Gilbert of all people calling _her_ untrustworthy, but before she could say anything more to him, Jenna and Alaric entered the room, both extremely surprised to find John there.

"What the hell?" Jenna blurted out at the sight of her hated brother-in-law.

In typical John fashion, he chose to drop the bombshell that he was Elena's birth father to Jenna before departing cheerily, leaving Elena to pick up the pieces and explain. Alaric had already made a swift exit, so Elena was faced with her aunt.  
"When did you find out?" Jenna demanded, "How?"

"I, uh…" Elena hesitated, knowing she couldn't tell the whole truth, "I didn't find out exactly, I just had a hunch. You know, I knew that my Dad had forged my birth records and I thought, why would he do that? Why did Isobel go to him of all doctors? I blurted it out to John and he admitted it," She managed to scrape together the safe, supernatural-free version of the story which didn't involve weapons against vampires and burning vampires alive in her father's old surgery.

"Oh God, Elena… why didn't you tell me?" Jenna looked a little hurt.

"I just didn't want it to be true, I guess," Elena replied. Jenna hugged her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Elena. But you got what you wanted, I guess- you wanted to know," Jenna reminded her. Elena nodded, forcing a smile.

"You're right. I'm sorry I didn't tell you Jenna," She added.

But as soon as Jenna was out the door she picked up the phone and rang Damon, who came round immediately. As Elena let him into the house, Damon was looking around.  
"Where's John?" He asked immediately.

"He's not here," She sighed, "He left. I don't know where he went. He just blew in, announced to Jenna that he's my dad then took off." Damon stopped scouting the house to look around at her.

"That's public knowledge now?"

"Apparently," Elena answered. Damon's expression softened and he came closer to her.

"Are you okay?" He questioned softly. Elena nodded.

"Yeah. Jenna's head's spinning, but I'm okay," It was a little strange having the truth out in the open but as always she felt a little relieved when there was a secret she could actually tell people. Damon reached out to her and Elena gratefully stepped into his arms, loving the feel of his arms around her again. It'd always felt right, being with Damon.

"Did he say what he was doing here?" Damon murmured into her hair.

"No. You know, Stefan thinks he's telling the truth about wanting to help me," Stefan always tried to see the best in even the worst people- it was Elena's own fatal flaw, usually. But she could not trust John- for a man who was supposedly looking out for her, he did have a penchant for trying to kill her friends.

"I don't believe him either," Damon said flatly. Elena stepped away from his embrace to look into his moon-bright eyes. They were glinting dangerously.

"What are we gonna do?" She asked him.

"Kill him?" Damon suggested, smirking. Elena hit him on the arm, "Hey, I was joking! Well, okay, I was a _little_ serious…"

"Damon!" Elena protested, not in the mood for joking about these things at that moment.

"I was joking. I'm not going to hurt him Elena- I'm trying to be the good guy, remember?" Damon reminded her teasingly. Elena couldn't help but grin a little bit at that, "I'm just going to have a civil conversation with your father." Her relief vanished as he turned and began to head out the door; there wasn't always a huge gap between conversation and murder when it came to Damon and people he hated. Knowing this too well, Elena hurried after him.

* * *

It didn't take them long to track John down to the Grill. As soon as they entered, Damon spotted John harassing Jenna and Alaric on the other side. John noticed the two of them almost as quickly.

"We just need answers," Elena muttered to him out of the corner of her mouth as they crossed the Grill, "Please don't do anything stupid." Damon chuckled and reached down between them to take her hand. It was early days for the two of them but things were looking up- Elena's refusal to leave his side had melted away some of the ice between them, but it would be awhile before Damon could feel secure in having her again.

"Like I'd risk losing you again over John Gilbert," He said disdainfully, but he managed to keep a smile on his face as they met John; the façade was very important.  
"John, buddy, how have you been?" Damon offered his hand to Elena's birth father, who shook it reluctantly.

"I've been alright, Damon. It's good to see you," John said, managing not to cringe even as Damon threatened to crush his fingers.

Everybody in the Grill was lighting candles in memorial for the victims of recent supposed animal attacks. Damon kept his distance from John until he could spot him alone, lighting a candle off to the side. Thinking that there never had been a memorial for the vampires John had burnt alive, Damon approached him from behind, glad that they could finally drop their pretence of friendliness.  
"Rumour has it you know a lot and won't say anything," Damon said, making John jump a little. The flame in the candle wavered a bit.

"I'm not here to fight you, Damon," John said, sounding tired. This was news to him. John turned to look at him, "I don't know if you can be trusted yet. Originals can compel vampires and according to Stefan, that's why Katherine's still in the tomb- an Original compelled her to stay there."

"Only because all the vervain left her system. Stefan and I, on the other hand, are chock full," Damon informed him. John actually looked a little surprised.

"You guys are drinking vervain?"

"It's an acquired taste," Damon said mildly, "Seeing as you don't have that magic ring on your stitched finger, I could easily threaten you now, but I promised Elena I'd be civil. But if you know something about Klaus, if I were you I'd start talking…"

"Damon, believe it or not, I trust you when it comes to keeping Elena safe. But I need to know that _I_ can trust you, and that I can count on you. Then we can talk."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry this is mostly dialogue but there is plenty of what we'll call 'unseen footage'! Thanks for reading this far, please leave me a review if you have the time!**


	58. The News Lady

**Chapter Fifty-Eight: The News Lady**

Damon watched John's departure before heading over to the bar. He was none the wiser as to what John was doing back here or what he could possibly do to help Elena, if that was even his plan. He was pondering this when another of Elena's relatives came to the bar with another woman in tow.  
"So my friend wants to meet you," Jenna told him by way of greeting, "Damon Salvatore, this is…"

"I know you," Damon said, glancing at the woman with disinterest, "The news lady."

"Andie Star," She gushed, "It's nice to meet you. Can I buy you a drink, Damon?" Damon looked at Jenna, confused. Why would Elena's aunt try to set him up with someone else? Of course, he and Elena weren't exactly together anymore but it still seemed like a strange precedent. He glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough Elena was watching with a frown on her face.

"My glass is full," He said bluntly, not bothering to be polite. He saw the surprise cross Andie's face, obviously not somebody used to being rejected, but he simply left and rejoined Elena.

"You didn't have to be rude," She told him.

"Oh, yes I did. Best to nip these things in the bud sometimes," Damon replied, finishing his drink in one huge gulp and putting his glass down. Elena's eyes were glinting a little bit and he felt a little flush of warmth in spite of his prevalent grief. "Would you rather I go over there and have a drink with her? Maybe grab a late bite? Of either kind?" He added, realising the pun.

"Okay, fine, but you could have more tact," She laughed lightly.

"What's your aunt doing trying to set me up with her anyway?"

"I think Jenna thinks that I should steer clear of you and your clearly troubled soul," Elena replied.

"Interesting…" But Elena's phone at that moment rang, interrupting the beginnings of their flirtation. Elena frowned at the screen and picked up, speaking to Stefan. Damon could hear what he was saying though. When Elena shut down the call, she and Damon looked at each other; Elena's expression was one of worry, and Damon's was of fury.

They were going to pay for this one.

* * *

"Not here," Damon murmured to her warningly, before indicating the restrooms. Elena nodded and let him go first, hanging around for a minute. But inside, she was panicking. Caroline had been kidnapped, obviously by the werewolves; which meant that Tyler had spilt the beans. Once a couple of minutes had passed so that it wouldn't look suspicious, Elena headed to the bathroom herself, where she met up with Damon.

"Tyler Lockwood knows?" Damon demanded, "Why am I only finding out about this now?" Elena bit her lip guiltily. In all honesty, most of what was going on with Caroline, Tyler and her other friends had slipped her mind recently in light of all that had been going on with Elijah and then Rose dying.

"Stefan wasn't sure how you'd take it," She replied, "He thought you might…"

"Kill him?" Damon suggested, "I'm going to have to now."

"No, Damon," Elena said firmly, "Not Tyler." He had already killed Mason Lockwood, they did not need another one on the list- especially not Tyler, who would never have intentionally but Caroline in harm's way. The two had grown close since Tyler had triggered his curse. "Do whatever you have to do to get Caroline back but just leave Tyler out of it, okay?" She implored. Damon's expression was inscrutable.

"Why?" He asked her.

"Too many people are already dead, Damon," Elena pleaded softly, "Please." He looked at her for a long moment.

"I don't have to play the good guy just because it's you who's asking, Elena," He told her heavily. She nodded, and he could see that she realised this but was asking anyway. "We'll get Caroline back, Elena," He promised. Before she could do so much as thank Damon, however, they were interrupted by the entrance of John into the bathroom. Elena scowled at the sight of him.

"Do you mind?" Damon snapped.

"What's going on?" John wanted to know, looking between Damon and Elena suspiciously as he asked.

"Nothing," Elena answered obstinately.

"It doesn't look like nothing," He insisted. Damon cast an annoyed look over his shoulder at him.

"Well guess what, John- trust works both ways. Get out." It was an order, not a question, but John had a stubborn expression which informed Damon only too well that he wasn't going to do as he was told- not that Damon had really expected him to. Behind him, Elena sighed.

"Look, we don't have time for this," She said tiredly, "We need to get Caroline back."

" _We_ don't need to do anything," Damon insisted in response, "I'll take care of it. First Dad duty," He added as he wheeled around to face John for the first time, "Ground your daughter. Keep her here." He left before she could protest, though he could hear her arguing with John as he departed. Usually when people started getting kidnapped, Elena somehow found herself the main target and he didn't want her to be found; not knowing that somewhere in the world, Klaus was looking for her. He for one didn't trust Elijah one little bit.

Elena felt satisfied in her choice to trust Elijah when he sent in a witch to protect Caroline, Stefan and Damon from the werewolves, but the entire situation didn't sit well with her. Her friend had been kidnapped and tortured while Tyler simply watched, and somehow, in the middle of it, Elena was a sitting duck, waiting to see what would happen next. There was no such thing as a normal day in Mystic Falls anymore, and things were only getting stranger by the day. Her feeling of confusion left her when she closed the fridge door to find John waiting for her on the other side of it. After that all she felt was the same surge of irritation and dislike that she always did when she was met with him.

"I'm sorry about earlier," He told her by way of greeting.

"Enough already," Elena snapped, "I don't want you here. I can't make it any more clear." He claimed to be there to protect her but Elena didn't need his protection, nor did she want it. She didn't want anything from him.

"I didn't come here to fight with you, Elena," John began.

"Yeah, I know. You came here to protect me. Get in line," She spat fiercely.

"I thought you might want this," He said, holding out a pretty bracelet, "It was your mother's." Elena looked at it hesitantly, not really knowing what the word 'mother' meant anymore.

"Isobel?" She questioned uncertainly as he handed it to her.

"No, your mother, Miranda. I remember her wearing it when she was young- I found it in a box with some things your dad left me. It's yours now," John explained. Elena closed her hand on the bracelet, befuddled. She didn't really have anything of her adopted parent's anymore, nothing of her mother's to hold onto until now. She would feel touched by this if it hadn't come from John. Still, she didn't let the bracelet go as she looked at him uncertainly.

"Miranda and Grayson were your parents, Elena, and I know I'm nothing to you. You have no reason to believe me or trust me," He acknowledged with a deep sigh, "I've done so many horrible things, but when you lost your parents I lost my brother, my family. I lost my way. I know that I probably won't ever make things right with you, but I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you and protect this family."

Numb, Elena let John leave, not knowing how to respond or what to say. Her fingers were still curled around the bracelet that had belonged to her mother tightly, but she held her breath until the lump in her throat died away. She could understand, now, why John was so keen to help her- but he still had to go some way to prove himself. She had not forgotten that he had nearly killed Damon and Stefan, and had successfully killed Anna.

When she turned her head, she found Stefan. She was a little surprised to see him there, but Damon had filled her in on everything that'd gone on that night.

"Did you hear that?" She asked the younger Salvatore brother, who nodded, "I don't believe him. Not after what he did. How's Caroline?"

"I could use your help…" Stefan replied ominously.

For once, there was nothing dark about what she needed to help with. She and Stefan simply drove over to pick Bonnie up before heading to Caroline's. She'd been kicked while she was down and needed cheering up, and the girls had agreed that a slumber party was the best way to do that. After the past few days, Elena was just relieved and happy to be doing something normal again. Stefan went into Caroline's room ahead of them.

"Hey!" She greeted him, "What's going on?"

"I was a bit worried about you, after everything you went through tonight," Stefan replied.

"I'm fine," Caroline said immediately.

"Good," Stefan replied, "But just in case, I brought back up…" On cue, Elena and Bonnie burst into Caroline's room, taking her by surprise.

"We're gonna slumber it!" Elena announced, grinning at the blonde. Bonnie was laughing too.

"We haven't done it in ages," Her best friend added. Caroline burst into tears them, smiling from ear to ear as she hugged the pair of them, clearly as happy as they were to be doing something ordinary for a change, especially after the day she'd had. As the girls were hugging, Elena looked over Caroline's shoulder at Stefan, who was standing in the doorway. She was about to thank him for thinking of Caroline when the words died in her throat. His gaze was on the blonde and his expression was soft, full of concern. But then he blinked and caught Elena's eye. She mouthed her thanks, an idea occurring to her, and he nodded before departing.

The three of them exhausted themselves running around Caroline's house, making junk food, gossiping and catching up on everything that'd been going on. Caroline was feeling guilty about her being distant from Matt, but Elena heard her mentioning spending a lot of her time with Tyler, which seemed to be a large part of the problem. Bonnie was the same as always and Elena decided to stay cagey on her status when it came to Damon- she wasn't even sure of any of the answers herself, of course.

Given all of that, she was taken by surprise when she was woken in the middle of the night. She jerked awake as something touched her face, but a cool finger over her lips and a pair of bright eyes informed her that it was Damon.  
"What are you doing here?" She whispered to him, but he hushed her and pointed at Bonnie and Caroline sleeping beside her on Caroline's bed. Carefully, Elena extracted herself from the two and followed him out into the hallway. Sheriff Forbes was long asleep so there was no chance of being caught.

"What are you-?" Elena began her question again but his kiss silenced her. Damon pulled her tight against his body, kissing her with ferocity. Elena kissed him back, every part of her body rippling with fire as his hands crawled over every part of her back. Damon backed her against the wall and pinned her there, not relenting in his onslaught.  
"Damon," Elena gasped out as quietly as possible as she fought to catch her breath between kisses, "We can't- here-"

"Mmph," He mumbled against her neck, his tongue tickling the skin there. Elena stifled an involuntary giggle.

"I'm serious! What are you doing?" He finally gave in and stopped, though he didn't move apart from her at all.

"I want you," He growled in a way that made her shiver. It took every ounce of her willpower not to just pick up where they'd left off, but Elena was wary of being overheard, especially with Caroline in the house.

"You do pick your moments," Elena sighed, "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just… your aunt must be really keen to drive me away. She gave me the news woman's number," He admitted with a chuckle. Elena felt a flicker of annoyance and also of uncertainty.

"Did you…?"

"Call her?" He laughed then, and Elena hit him to warn him to lower his volume, "No, Elena. I was taking a bath and all I could think about was how much I wanted you there in the tub with me…" He could be so seductive when he wanted to be. It was almost impossible to resist any vampire's charms when they wanted you to be charmed; it was a part of what they were. But when it came to Damon… Elena steeled herself.

"Damon," She said his name.

"Elena," He said hers back, teasing.

"We will talk in the daytime, okay?"

"Okay," He sighed, exaggerating his disappointment with a slump of the shoulders as he turned way. Elena grabbed his arm gently.

"Away from Mystic Falls," She added, "We'll go somewhere far away, duck John and the rest of it." Damon's eyes suddenly glinted with mischief.

"That's the best idea you've ever had," He purred, giving her one last ravishing look before vamping off into the night. Elena sighed, feeling her heart rate finally beginning to slow, before re-entering Caroline's room and crawling back into bed, the feel of Damon's lips still on hers.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everybody who is still out there! I know this is a short one but I forced myself to stay up until silly o'clock in the morning to write to a point that it felt done so that I didn't leave everybody high and dry. The reason is, I'm actually off to Canada again tomorrow so I won't be updating (I am going to try though because to be honest I don't want to leave things just as they get juicy, even if I do end up writing it on my phone). I wanted to leave it on an exciting note and skip over at least some of the canon which we already know. I hope you guys like it and don't all get fed up and ditch me while I'm away!**


	59. The Gilbert Journals

**Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Gilbert Journals**

Damon held the dagger up to the morning sunlight which streamed in through the window. It was made of some sort of dark metal and was also clearly very old, an antique. He wasn't sure what to make of John Gilbert's visit and he hadn't told Elena yet, so he had called the only other person who might be able to shed some sort of rational light on this. Alaric arrived, letting himself into the house and entering the parlour where Damon was waiting.

"What was it you wanted to show me?" The teacher asked expectantly.

"This," Damon held the dagger out, "John Gilbert gave me it to kill Elijah." Damon wasn't keen on trusting John's word, that was for sure. Damon had seen the kind of things Elijah was capable, both himself and with his allies. The witches he had working with him had demonstrated enormous power in ending the werewolves attack on himself and Stefan when they had gone to rescue Caroline. "He said you have to dip the dagger in the ashes of an old white ash tree which dates back to the Originals, if there's any truth in that."

Alaric took the dagger and examined it, frowning.  
"So you think it's a setup?" He asked Damon.

"Could be," Damon replied, "The guy's a weasel, I wouldn't put anything past him." Alaric nodded, still examining the dagger, apparently just as at a loss as to what to believe as Damon for the moment. Sighing, Damon headed over to pour himself a drink, changing the subject. "What are you up to today, Mr Saltzman?"

"Well Jenna and I were supposed to go to her family's lake house but we somehow both got roped into doing the Lockwood's historical society thing," Alaric grimaced, joining Damon at the bar.

"Where Elijah's the guest of honour," Damon recalled, smirking. The Original had ingratiated himself into the highest circles of Mystic Falls with ease under the guise of a historical writer researching small-town Virginian history. The council were eating out of his palm. Alaric was scrutinising him carefully.

"Tell me you're not gonna kill him at the tea party," He frowned.

"No," Damon answered, "That would be stupid. I want to know his endgame before I kill him. But I do think it's time Elijah and I officially met." Ric didn't look as if he believed him but Damon decided not to pursue the subject anymore. The previous night had been very educational, in many ways. Firstly, they now knew that Tyler Lockwood was all too aware that they were vampires, and that he was possibly working with the other werewolves against them. Damon could only imagine what else the boy had spilled to the wolves given what had happened to his uncle- something they had definitely told him about. He had done nothing when Caroline was being tortured- that told Damon everything he needed to know about that situation. And then there was his late night visit to Elena at Caroline's slumber party- she had asked him to take her away from everything. Well, after he'd got the measure of Elijah at this historical society tea party he would do just that- take her away to the conveniently empty lake house. They could certainly do with some alone time.

Damon entered the Lockwood mansion and before he was even in the same room as the rest of the guests, he could hear Elijah and Carol Lockwood speaking. Elijah was being very convincing in his interest in researching small towns in Virginia, in all fairness. Damon could only imagine Carol's reaction if she knew who she was really speaking to- an Original vampire, one of the most dangerous people in history.

Before he could make it over to them however, he was intercepted by Jenna. He looked confusedly at Damon's aunt- he was still curious as to why she'd wanted to set him up with the news lady given his relationship and history with her niece. It was strange.  
"Damon, what are you doing here?" She asked him, seeming surprised to see him there.

"I'm from a Founding family," He shrugged, "I'm very interested in the history of our town." He was also very much a part of it.

"Hi," A voice said, and he turned to find Andie Star, the news reporter, standing there with wide eyes, holding a notepad. Damon groaned inwardly- he really didn't need this right now. His plan was to get in, meet Elijah, and then get out of here to spend time with Elena. "I wasn't expecting to see you here," Andie gushed.

"I'm full of surprises," He said shortly. Andie looked a little hurt at his coldness and Jenna frowned. Damon sighed and decided to tackle the problem right then, "Jenna, can I speak to you?" He pulled her to the side, hating that such trivial matters were getting in the way of things which were much more important- like the safety of Elena, for example, or the presence of an Original he didn't trust one bit.

"What's with you trying to set me up with Andie?" He asked Jenna tiredly.

"I thought you guys might hit it off," Jenna shrugged, trying to seem casual, but Damon wasn't fooled.

"Jenna, Elena and I are kind of… back on," He wanted to add something sarcastic but he refrained. Jenna gave him a look.

"This is news to me. I thought you were finished," She admitted. Elena evidently hadn't filled her in.

"Well, we're not," Damon said, "And I would really appreciate it if you kind of, got that through to Andie. I don't want to cause any trouble- I don't intend to hurt Elena, either." Jenna was giving him a shrewd, searching look. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine. If I'm honest, I don't really want you with Elena. She's young, Damon, and she lost her parents not so long ago, and honestly I think you might be a little too old for her," Jenna said bluntly. Damon had to stop himself from smirking amusedly- she had no idea just _how_ old he was.

"I understand you're looking out for her Jenna- but so am I," Damon said instead, sincerely. Jenna bit her lip.

"Fine. But one wrong move," She let the warning linger as she walked away. Damon breathed in relief- he could still feel Andie Star watching him and it was taking all that was in him not to simply rip her head off to rid himself of this irritation. Instead, he turned and headed over to Carol and Elijah, the former of whom looked happy to see him.

"What a surprise," She smiled as he kissed her on the cheek in greeting, "Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families," She explained, beaming at the Original. Elijah's expression was unreadable as he extended his hand to Damon, though his dark eyes seemed to twinkle.

"Mm," Damon hummed as he shook Elijah's hand, "Such a pleasure to meet you." He half expected Elijah to crush his hand but he didn't; his shake was controlled.

"No," Elijah's response was smooth, "Pleasure's mine."

* * *

"Are you ready?" Damon greeted Elena when she opened her front door.

"I'm packed just like you asked," She replied warmly, allowing him to kiss her, "What's the plan?"

"Well, I'll admit I poached this from the teacher, but how does a trip to your family's lake house sound?" Elena felt her heart soar happily at this prospect. The lake house wasn't too far but it was out of the way and was tranquil. She'd always loved going there with her parents and Jeremy as a child.

"It sounds perfect," She smiled. And so they took off in Damon's car. During the journey, he filled her in on exactly what'd happened when they rescued Caroline, and his meeting that morning with Elijah. Their tryst in the early hours of the morning had been too lustful and heady to really talk about any of those things, but by the time they got to the lake it was all out in the open. When Elena actually saw the house, she thought again of all her memories there. It was strange, coming here now.

"Are you alright?" Damon asked her softly, sensing something was wrong.

"I'm fine," She replied, "I just haven't been back here since…" Damon reached over and gently took her hand. She looked at him and saw the question in his blue eyes. "I don't want to leave," She answered out loud, "I was just having a moment." Damon smiled and kissed her on the cheek before getting out of the car and speeding around to open her door for her. She laughed as she climbed out at the exaggerated gentlemanly behaviour. She led the way up the steps and unlocked the door, the smell of the surrounding trees and lake stirring nostalgia within her. It was nice to find somewhere that reminded her of her parents without being tinged by the pain of losing them. She was halfway into the front room when Damon cleared his throat behind her.

"Um… non-human companion," He called mockingly. She turned around to find him standing on the edge of the threshold, looking expectant. Elena laughed again, enjoying the feeling of mirth.

"You can come in," She invited. Before she could do so much as blink, Damon had vamped inside and picked her up bridal-style, causing her to squeal in surprise. He was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

"Don't tell me, the bedroom's through here," He said, carrying her towards it.

"Damon!" Elena giggled, "The door!" He paused and looked down at her, his eyes glinting.

"And here's me expecting a 'put me down'!" He turned back, carrying her as easily as if she weighed nothing, kicked the front door shut and then vamped with her in his arms to her parents' old bedroom, where he dropped her on the bed and leant over her.

"This is my parent's bed," Elena gasped through her laughter.

"Bad, isn't it?" He teased, before kissing her hungrily. Her mind wiped peacefully blank, Elena allowed herself to be carried away by the pure wanting she felt for Damon as his hands seemed to find their way across every inch of her body. She sighed as he caressed her bare skin, his hands pale against her olive tone, and she met his eyes as he made love to her. It was impossible, when they were finally so close after so long, to think about anything else-for once, her mind wasn't wandering onto the subject of Elijah, or Klaus, or anything else supernatural. Of course, Damon was supernatural, but when he was with her like this he seemed at his most human- he was loving and passionate and hungry, just like she was, and just for a little period of time, they were both cut from the same cloth together.

Afterwards, Damon rolled her in the thick quilt on top of the bed and smoothed her dark hair back from her face. Elena smiled up at him, adoring everything from the bright blue eyes that lured her in to the way his Adam's apple bobbed slightly when he swallowed. Damon Salvatore was beautiful as he lay beside her, peaceful.

"What's the weirdest part of being back here?" He asked her, after a long and contented silence.

"I guess… the fact I'm actually happy to be here. I thought maybe I couldn't love it since… You know. But it's still a happy place for me," Elena smiled.

"It's a lovely place," Damon agreed lightly. "You know, when I was a kid sometimes we'd ride up here. It'd take forever for us to get here, but there weren't any houses then and Stefan and I would race each other to dive off the edge and swim to the other side. I used to let him win most of the time…" Elena peered to her left. Damon was looking up at the ceiling as he reminisced, "It was the only time I saw my father actually pleased about something."

"What about your mother? Did she come here?" Neither Damon nor Stefan ever spoke about their mother. Elena didn't even know her name.

"Before she died," Damon replied. He said nothing more on the subject, as ever.

"My father taught me to fish in that lake," Elena recounted one of her own memories fondly.

"Sounds like this place has history for both of us," Damon's eyes gleamed.

"Come on," Elena said, getting out of bed and heading over to the closet.

"What?"

"Put some clothes on. We're going out there," She tossed a shirt at Damon from inside the closet. He caught it and held it up with a raised eyebrow- it was plaid, not exactly his style. Throwing it aside, he rolled off the bed and picked up his own discarded dark shirt from the floor and began buttoning it up over his chest.

"What other prehistoric fashion did your parents keep in there?" Damon asked, as he buckled his belt, peering into the closet, "Nice lumberjack outfit," He held up an old tartan jacket.

"That was my grandfather's," Elena sniggered.

"I'm half expecting to find hoop skirts and petticoats, some of this crap…" Damon was chucking out random items of clothing as he spoke and Elena could do no more than laugh at his verbal assessments, "It's almost never ending…" The closet was half-empty when he finally stopped. Elena had been brushing her hair, which had been messed up in their activities, and only looked around when she realised Damon had gone quiet. He was standing and frowning at the inside of the closet.

"What's up?" She asked him, frowning.

"Elena, did you know there's a door in here?" Damon questioned, looking around at her.

"What? No…" He stepped aside so that she could see. Indeed, concealed behind all of the old clothes in the closet which nobody really touched, was a discreet door built into the back of the wardrobe. "I wonder if my parents knew…" Her words died in her throat as she opened the door curiously. Inside, on the back wall, were a number of instruments which Elena recognised with a horrible pit in her stomach; they were very similar to the weapons Alaric kept in the back of his car to kill vampires, only more archaic looking. And on shelves stacked almost from floor to ceiling, was leather-bound journal upon leather-bound journal. Reaching up, Damon grabbed one of them and read the inside cover.

"Johnathon Gilbert, 1865," Damon read the name and year blankly.

"Oh," Elena breathed, remembering, "John said there were more of his journals. Jeremy had the one, but…" Damon was flicking rapidly through some of the pages of the journal in his hands, looking as if he didn't much like what he was reading.

"The guy was like an encyclopaedia for vampire lore," Damon said, shoving the journal back on its shelf, "He was obsessed. No wonder everyone just assumed he was crazy."

"It's kind of a shame he wasn't just…. Wait," Elena's eyes widened as she stared up at Damon, "An encyclopaedia of vampire lore… Do you think," She took his hand, squeezing it, "Do you think he ever did any research on the Originals?"

* * *

Damon and Elena sat for hours combing through Johnathon Gilbert's journals. Some of the entries brought back uncomfortable memories of Damon's early days as a vampire. Back then he had resented Stefan so much for turning him into what he was that a part of him had enjoyed watching his brother destroy everything he had left by ripping the town apart. He could see that Elena was disconcerted to read about some of Stefan's crimes, never having quite seen the full extent of Stefan's ripper tendencies. He had killed Johnathon Gilbert himself, though the man had been wearing one of the rings that Alaric and Jeremy now possessed, which prevented him from dying a supernatural death.

Damon was beginning to think that the Gilbert man actually had been crazy, the ramblings he made in later life as his reference guide, when Elena finally gasped out loud in surprise. Dropping the journal he had been perusing blandly, Damon leant over to see what she had found.  
"There…. There is a way to kill an Original vampire," She stammered, "The witches… they made a dagger which bonded with the ash of a white oak tree… if you stab the Original with the dagger coated in ash, they die…" Damon seized the journal from her hands and looked down at the page she had been reading from. Could it be that John Gilbert had actually been telling the truth?

Sure enough, there on the page was a sketch of the exact dagger that Damon possessed.  
"John wasn't lying," Damon muttered out loud, frowning.

"What?" And Damon suddenly realised he hadn't told her.

"John gave me this dagger and a jar with the ashes in. He told me it'd work but I didn't know whether to believe him," Damon explained, "I have it at home. Rick and I were discussing…"

"Using it on Elijah," Elena's tone was stony as she finished his sentence. He looked over at her and saw the annoyance on her face. She was still completely convinced of Elijah's trustworthiness; Damon was still very wary. However, he didn't wish to rehash the same argument all over again and so he bit his tongue and looked down at the journal again, beginning to read it properly. "We weren't going to do this here," Elena sighed as she recalled, "We were going to be normal, remember? Leave all this Original vampire, werewolf crap behind for a little while…. Damon?"

She had obviously caught sight of the change in his facial expression.  
"Damon, what's wrong?" Damon handed her the journal back, a bad taste in his mouth. _Now_ he was certain that John had been telling the truth. Elena read the remainder of the entry, which she had missed due to Damon snatching it out of her hands. As she read, her expression grew darker and darker until finally she looked up at him.  
"No," She whispered, "Not again." If Damon used the dagger on Elijah it would kill him. That was the loophole the witches had created when they forged the daggers; only a human could wield it. John knew Damon would happily kill Elijah; he had conveniently forgotten to mention the second part of the deal.

"He's dead," Damon said coldly, standing up. Elena stood up too, looking pale.

"Damon!" She began.

"I didn't kill him when he tried to barbeque me, Elena. This time he gets what's coming to him." Fury was pumping through his veins; John Gilbert was not going to be walking around with that smug smile of his for much longer.

"No, no," Elena hushed him, "Damon, I think I heard something." Her eyes glanced towards the door. Damon took a breath to force himself to focus and he listened. Something was moving outside on the porch of the lake house, quietly and hardly audibly, but it was there. Steeling himself, Damon headed over to the door silently before yanking it suddenly open, aiming to startle whoever or whatever was out there. Seeing a flash of movement, he grabbed the perpetrator by the throat and slammed him into the wall of the cabin with enough force to make the place tremble. He was about to rip heads off when he realised that the person whose neck he was gripping was his brothers.

"Stefan," Damon said, letting him go, "What are you doing here?"

"I tried to call you but your phone's off," Stefan murmured, rubbing his neck and glancing at the door. Elena was standing just inside, looking surprised to see Stefan there, "Bonnie did a spell to get into Luka's head- you know, the son of the witch helping Elijah- and that's it. To lift the curse…"

"Spit it out," Damon growled, sensing the hesitation. Stefan swallowed and glanced at Elena before he spoke again:

"To lift the curse, Elena has to die. And that's what Elijah wants her for- to lure Klaus out as agreed and then…"

"She dies."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi everybody, I'm back! I worked super hard on this, trying to inject it with a lot of originality whilst keeping something of TVD in there, and plenty of Delena fluff! I hope you all liked it! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and to those who favourited and followed. I am very grateful! I would love to hear more of what you have to say about this story, your opinions and feedback are very welcome!**


	60. Elena's Choice

**Chapter Sixty: Elena's Choice**

Every nerve of Damon's body felt prickled at the two words which had just left Stefan's mouth. He looked at Elena, looking for the fear in her eyes and seeking to comfort it, but he didn't find it there. In fact, she didn't even look surprised.

"Elena?" Apparently this revelation was not lost on his brother, either. Damon looked at Stefan and saw the same emotions he felt reflected in his brother's eyes; so, Elena had planned to give herself up all along, knowing that she would die anyway. Elena bit her lip but said nothing, looking fearfully between the two Salvatore's.

"Damon," Stefan said, "Alaric told me about the dagger and I have it here with me. All we have to do is use it." Damon nodded slowly, stiffly. It looked to be the only way.

"No," Elena finally found her voice, "We're not daggering Elijah. I gave my word..."

"...That you'll die," Damon finished harshly, speaking over her. Elena fell silent, though she looked ready to argue. Stefan looked between the two.

"Look, I can see you two need to talk. I'll just go and get some firewood and then we can decide, okay?" He couldn't take his exit fast enough and honestly, Damon couldn't blame him. He turned to face Elena head on and folded his arms, waiting for her explanation.

"Elijah was very careful with his words," She told him after a pause, "I knew what I was signing up for." She sat down and picked up the Gilbert journal again as if the matter was settled- which to Damon's mind, it most certainly wasn't.

"I thought we talked you out of all this suicide crap, Elena," He growled.

"It's not suicide- it's not like I want to die," She said, turning the heavy pages of the journal and running her finger over the drawing of the dagger, "I just want all of you to die even less."

"Most of the people you're talking about are technically already dead, Elena," Damon pointed out angrily. Elena looked up at him with her big brown eyes and he felt his rage abate a little, to be replaced with a strangely hollow feeling, "Why didn't you tell me?" He sat down beside her and threw his head back to stare at the ceiling. He already knew the answer to her question, of course, but he wanted to hear her say it- just so he knew for sure that she understood.

"You wouldn't have let me out of your sight, Damon," Elena said, matter-of-factly.

"If that's what I have to do to stop you from trying to play the hero-"

"You promised not to lock me away again," Elena reminded him, but suddenly a small smile was playing across her lips, "Let's not fight right now, okay? We came here to get away from this stuff."

"This stuff has a habit of following us around, Elena," Damon pointed out. But he didn't have the energy to argue with her anymore- he felt suddenly drained. He didn't feel so much angry that she had kept this from him, more numb. Stefan was right, the only thing they could do was dagger Elijah and grind this whole thing to a halt. He lifted the journal from Elena's lap and began to peruse it again himself. The more they knew about this dagger the better, after all, especially if they were definitely going to use it now. Damon still didn't trust any hint John Gilbert gave him further than he could throw John Gilbert. It didn't take him long to find the caveat to the use of the dagger.  
"I knew he was a double crossing bastard," Damon muttered.

"What?" Elena frowned.

"If a supernatural being uses the dagger, they'll die too," He ran his finger over the line scrawled on the next page, "For real, that is- unlike the Original."

"They're only in a death-like state as long as the dagger remains in them," Elena surmised, reading over his shoulder. But then she looked smug: "So you won't be daggering Elijah, then."

"No," Damon agreed, but he knew somebody who might do it for them, somebody human. He was about to remark on this when he was distracted by a sound- too far off for human ears, but Damon could pick it up- it was Stefan, and he was hurt. In a blur, Damon was on his feet.

"Damon? What's going on?" Elena asked, jumping to her feet after him.

"Stefan..." He frowned, trying to focus. He could hear somebody else too…. And closer, somebody was moving towards the lakehouse. Torn, Damon hesitated. He wanted to go and help his brother but Stefan was a lot less vulnerable than Elena. And if Tyler Lockwood was involved, that could only mean one thing: "Werewolves. They're here."

"What?" Elena's voice cracked in panic. Damon hushed her. Whoever it was was coming up the steps outside.

"Go and hide. The closet. Now." She took off immediately towards her parents bedroom. The door handle turned as Damon shot out of sight, waiting. The door was unlocked and from his position in the shadows beneath the stairs, he could see the man enter. He thought he recognised him from the night the wolves had kidnapped Caroline, Jules' boyfriend. He heard the man inhale and realised that his sense of smell was heightened much like the animal he transformed into. He took a step towards the bedroom where Elena was hiding, but then stopped.

"I know you're here, vampire," He called softly. Damon stepped out of the shadows.

"You're not smart, are you?" He softly demanded of the werewolf, "How many times do we have to remind you that without a full moon, you're going to lose?" The wolf raised a gun in his hand, obviously loaded with wooden bullets.

"That's why I brought this," He told Damon.

"That's how you got Stefan then, is it? Got him by surprise," Damon shook his head, "You'll have to get up a lot earlier in the morning to get me," Before the man could react, Damon flashed across the room so that he was behind him. As he turned, Damon easily snapped his neck, dropping his body carelessly to the floor.

A moment later, he heard a door open and then Elena's footsteps as she emerged. When he looked around, he saw she had picked up a knife from the kitchen table top on her way past and was gripping it tightly in her right hand. She didn't look at the body.

* * *

"He wasn't expecting two of us," Damon explained as she stepped towards him, "Stefan beating him here complicated things."

"But he's not alone, is he?" Elena asked.

"No," Damon admitted. Shaken, Elena opened the front door and stepped onto the porch, the knife still held tightly in her hand. She had to know if Stefan was alright- and face whoever else was lurking out there. But Stefan was emerging from where the garage was even as she made her way towards it.

"Stefan!" She called, and he moved towards her, hugging her, "You're okay!"

"Yeah," He said as they let go, looking over her head at Damon, who was standing in the doorway, his eyes looking towards something she could not yet see through the dark. A moment later though. Tyler emerged. He looked distressed and scared, his dark eyes moving from Stefan to Damon before settling on Elena as he approached.

"I didn't know what they were gonna do to you," He said shakily, "I didn't. I just… I don't want to be like this anymore." Elena looked at him, the boy she had known her whole life, Matt's best friend, the jock turned werewolf, and she felt her heart break for him. He looked so alone. She walked slowly over to him.

"It's okay..." She murmured, hugging him. She felt his relief as he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, Elena…." Tyler said again as they let go. She reassured him again, but even as she did so she looked towards Damon. She could see he was battling with himself- it was etched across his handsome face. The blue eyes were dangerous and malevolent. Elena walked back to him, touched his arm.

"Hey," She breathed, knowing that Tyler couldn't hear her when she spoke this quietly. Damon ripped his eyes away from Tyler and looked down at her. She touched his arm and then trailed it down so that her hand found his. It took him a minute but then he took it, and she saw him visibly relax just a little.

"Just get out of here, Lockwood," Damon called gruffly, "Go home..." They all heard the unspoken second half of the sentence, the one where he suggested he might change his mind and kill Tyler. The Lockwood, for his part, didn't need telling twice.

"Stefan," Elena began, as they all made their way back into the lakehouse, tensions high, "The dagger- you can't use it."

"Elena, if you think I'm just gonna-" Stefan began, exasperated.

"No, she's right. We can't use it, it'll kill us," Damon filled him in on the tidbit that John had conveniently forgotten to mention.

"I wish I could say I can't believe my father tried to get my boyfriend and best friend killed," Elena sighed, "But I can't." She finally placed the knife down, though her hand felt strangely empty without it. She was still wired and nervous and the fact the dead werewolf was still lying on the floor didn't help. Stefan followed her gaze.

"Look, I'll deal with this- I'll speak to you tomorrow," He took his leave then, taking the body with him and leaving Elena and Damon alone again.

Elena was nervous; Damon was not happy with her but she really didn't want to fight him. She just wanted him to hold her, so that she could feel safe from the danger that followed her wherever she went. Damon just looked at her, his icy eyes piercing.

"We can find another way," He said quietly, when Elena didn't speak.

"There is no other way, Damon. It's right here in these journals- Original's don't die. Even if we were going to dagger Klaus it's not like getting near him would be easy. Elijah is our best bet." She had questioned herself, privately, ever since she had made her deal with the Original, but ultimately she could see no other way out. There was no way she was going to allow all of her friends and family to be hurt, or spend centuries on the run like Katherine; if all she could do to stop that was die, then that would have to be what happened.

"Mm-hmm," Damon hummed, lost in thought for a moment. But Elena could tell that he wasn't agreeing with her- he was merely humouring her while he thought through any other options. She sighed, letting the argument go for now.

"Any other tips from Jonathan Gilbert that we should know?" He was, unexpectedly, the one who changed the subject.

"I don't know..." Elena picked up the journal, which was open to the page about the dagger, and flipped through to a later entry, when something caught her eye- a name- Stefan Salvatore. Turning back to the start of the entry and what she read brought on a wave of nausea. It seemed to be a story of Stefan – not knowing about the Gilbert ring- killing Founding Family members, including Jonathan himself. Damon, who was reading over her shoulder, looked at her.

"He described Stefan as a monster," She muttered to him.

"He was," Damon replied matter-of-factly, "We both were, well… it might actually surprise you to know that back then, he was more of a monster than I was," Damon chuckled at the apparent irony.

Elena didn't find it very funny.

"You're not a monster," She told him.

"Aren't I?" He flashed his fangs playfully at her. Elena gave him a stoical look and Damon shook his head, picking the journal up out of her lap and re-reading a few sentences before looking back up.

"There are things you don't know, Elena," He admitted, "Not secrets, really, but… look, you have to remember that at that time, we were both still in love with Katherine and we were angry with the Founding Families for killing her- or so we thought. We wanted revenge. I advocated a more subtle, less attention-seeking method than Stefan…. Well, it eventually just got to be too much. I hated him and I wanted to get away, so I left him." Elena was not surprised at that part- she knew that Damon had once promised Stefan an eternity of misery.

"It just doesn't seem like Stefan," She noted thoughtfully.

"Stefan on human blood- he's never been able to stop, once he starts. He's what we call a Ripper. But Stefan was still Stefan enough to feel guilty- about the people he killed, about our father and for what he did to me- so he switched it off."

"His humanity?" Elena watched Damon nod. He closed the heavy journal and tossed it aside.

"I kept mine for much longer than he did- I kept my humanity until it drove me crazy. But- that;'s another miserable walk down memory lane, for another time," He stood up and stretched, "Ready for bed?" Elena nodded, standing up too, only just realising how tired she was from all the drama and excursion of the evening. As she lay dozing in Damon's arms, her last thought was that she should have known better than to expect to be able to escape her problems.

* * *

Alaric was all set to try and find out Elijah's plans. Damon decided not to tell Elena that. Although he had promised her that they would not keep secrets, he could not abide the idea of her selling her life away to the Original vampire on some promise he might not keep. So, he kept silent and tried to make the following day what it should have been- relaxation and fun. However, he was surprised when Elena came up with a brainwave.

"Has anybody been to see Katherine lately?" She asked him as they collected firewood for later on.

"Nope. She'll be nicely dried up by now, though, maybe I'll go for the laughs," Damon suggested. Elena pulled a face.

"She might know something about- about all of this. She's been running from Klaus for five hundred years, maybe she knows something we don't about… about killing an Original," Elena stammered nervously, avoiding his eyes. But Damon was over to her in a moment, taking the log she was picking up out of her hands and tossing it aside.

"Are you changing your mind?" He could barely breathe for hope she'd seen sense. Elena met his gaze unwillingly.

"The dagger's don't really kill them," Was all she said. Damon let her go. He hadn't thought of Katherine himself- she hadn't crossed his mind in quite some time, in fact, but he knew she was still down in the tomb, compelled by Elijah not to leave. "I hate to call this trip to a halt but..." But Damon hushed her.

"No," He said determinedly, "I'll speak to Katherine and I'll come right back here."

Elena had been reluctant to be left behind but, of course, she couldn't enter the tomb with a starving Katherine. Damon's phone rang off the hook all along the drive back to Mystic Falls, but he ignored it. He was not looking forward to his visiting the cruel doppelganger, but Elena was right; if he knew Katherine at all, if there was a way to kill an Original then she would know about it. Getting her to talk might be a problem- but that was why he'd brought the blood.

When he entered the tomb, a sense of irony hit him. He had spent 145 years envisioning this exact scene; himself entering the tomb to feed blood to a desiccated Katherine. Only, in his dreams of this, they had been overjoyed to see each other and he had set her free. They would run away to be together for an eternity… more than a little different from his smug satisfaction at knowing that even once awake she couldn't leave this tomb. Elijah did have his uses.

Damon unscrewed the lid to the bottle of blood he'd brought and waved it under Katherine's nose. She was hardly recognisable as Katherine at this point, her skin parched and dry like paper, slumped against the wall, unmoving. But when she smelt the blood, her mouth opened as if to taste it. Taking the hint, Damon poured a little of it into her mouth and watched as, slowly, moisture began to return. Once revived enough, Katherine grabbed the bottle and snatched it from his grip, downing the contents desperately.

"Great. Drink up. Good girl," He said, as she did so, "I've come bearing gifts." On his drive he had stopped off at a store to grab some clothes for Katherine. Her help would have to be bought, that he knew. He hung the items up on the iron grating of the tomb as she finished the blood. Once done, Katherine crushed the bottle in her hands. She looked almost back to normal now, though admittedly frail.

"Wow, that blood did the trick. You're almost pretty again," He teased meanly.

"What is it that you want, Damon?" Katherine demanded, rightfully suspicious of his motives.

"Guess who's back in town? Your old friend, John Gilbert," He informed her. Katherine's expression gave nothing away as she replied:

"Really? Why?"

"Says he loves his daughter and wants to protect her from Elijah and big, bad Klaus," Damon smirked. If John cared about Elena he'd stop trying to kill her loved ones.

"Touching," Katherine said lightly, getting up from the ground.

"Yeah right. He told me old wives tales about how to kill an Original," Damon watched Katherine closely for any kind of reaction, but as usual her expression was impregnable.

"And you want to know if it's true," She surmised, giving him a knowing look, "If it was I wouldn't tell you." He had been prepared for this so he didn't allow it to phase him.

"Now why not? You and Klaus and Elijah dead as much as I do," He pointed out as she sorted through the clothes he'd bought her. Katherine threw him a look over her shoulder.

"Klaus, yes, Elijah, no. He's compelled me to stay in here- if he dies, I'm stuck forever," Katherine informed him tartly. Damon smirked.

"Sucks for you,"

"Forget it, Damon. Killing Elijah would be a suicide mission. You can't do it," In spite of himself, Katherine got under his skin a little with that jibe. Although he knew Elijah was going to be difficult to kill, he thought if he knew the right way to do it he could pull it off- he could pull anything off it meant saving Elena.

"Can so," He retorted.

"Can't," She fired back.

"Even with a dagger and a little white oak ash?" Katherine finally turned to face him, looking genuinely surprised. Of course, they already knew the daggers didn't mean the Original's stayed dead but the important part now was testing what else Katherine knew. Evidently, she did know something.

"No," She said, her voice a little hoarse, "Damon, if you kill Elijah, then I'm stuck in here forever," She rasped. He peered down at her, unsure of how much he believed her. But if Katherine remained stuck then she would quickly be discovered by Klaus.

"You're really scared," He taunted her, though he was also slightly in wonder.

"Just get me out of here first and I'll help you. I'll… I'll help you kill Elijah or… or protect Elena. Anything you want." Katherine may offer up her end of the bargain but Damon was sceptical she'd ever do anything to help Elena out.

"I get you out of here and your ass is sipping Klaus-free margaritas on some unknown island somewhere," Damon said, watching her closely, "No way."

"That's not true- I'll stay. Please Damon, just don't do it," Katherine pleaded. He smirked down at her, giving nothing away. Her surprise at how much they already knew had told her all he needed to know- if the daggers would work, then there had to be some more permanent way of killing an Original. He told Katherine as much before taking his leave- quite glad to see the back of the crueller doppelgänger.

* * *

"Thanks for coming back," Elena greeted Stefan as he met her at the door of the lake house.

"Sure. Where's Damon?" He asked, as they began to walk down to sit looking out at the lake. It'd been a while since Elena had spent any time with Stefan alone and honestly it felt a little strange, now that she and Damon were back on.

"He went to get some answers out of Katherine," Elena replied, "About how to kill Originals." Stefan said nothing, just watched her, and Elena knew that he realised that wasn't the only reason she'd called him here. "I was reading the Gilbert journals and I came across an entry… when you killed him." A shadow seemed to pass over Stefan's face but he still said nothing, "Damon says that you're a Ripper, like you have no control and you were angry with the Founding families…"

"I remember the night," Stefan admitted finally, "First I killed Honoria Fell, and then him. I had no idea his ring would bring him back. Look. Damon already told you all of this, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Elena admitted, nodding.

"So why did you call me out here?" He said this gently, coaxingly. Elena took a moment to think about her answer.

"What if I… what if I become like you?" She stammered. Surprise crossed Stefan's face.

"I didn't think..."

"I don't think I want it," Elena said quickly, "Not really, but… what if I don't get a choice?" Neither of them said the words out loud, but they both knew they were broaching a subject Elena liked to avoid ordinarily; the possibility of her becoming a vampire. Stefan looked out across the lake for a moment, contemplating his answer. When he finally spoke, he chose his words carefully.

"It's hard to say what anyone will be like when they turn, Elena, but who you are becomes amplified. Me… I had no control over anything in my life until the day I chose to feed and transition. You… when you make choices, you tend to make the right ones. The right path, the right people..." He gave her a strange look, and she suddenly realised he was speaking about Damon. "But it doesn't have to happen at all, you know that." Elena nodded. She knew, as she had known since she had found out the truth about Damon's feelings for her, that she would have to make this decision one day- but Stefan had reassured her that it didn't have to be today.


	61. Double Edged Swords

**Chapter Sixty-One: Double Edged Swords**

"The plan is in place," Damon told Elena as he waltzed in through the door. Stefan had certainly left Elena with a lot to think about. She was trying to picture Damon as Stefan had described him when he was human- sweet, a romantic, passionate- exactly who he was now, and yet so different. As Damon explained that Alaric was having a dinner party at the Salvatore house, Elena knew that being a vampire was what had _made_ Damon.

"A dinner party?" Elena didn't like this plan.

"He was with Jenna when they bumped into Andie Star and as luck would have it, Elijah-" But Elena interrupted.

" _No way_ are you putting Alaric and Jenna in the middle of this," Stefan, who had been lounging on the couch, frowned over at his brother.

"It's too risky, Damon," Stefan agreed, "If Rick wasn't quick enough-"

"He's wearing his ring," Damon waved this off.

"What about Jenna?" Elena demanded, "And Andie?"

"I thought you trusted Elijah?" Damon said, slightly mockingly, "Isn't Jenna on your protection list?" Damon had her there. Some part of Elena did trust Elijah to keep his word- but she had to keep hers if he was to reciprocate his, and this was a calculated move to incapacitate him.

"I don't like this," Elena folded her arms, chewing her lip. There was just too much at stake. The Salvatore brothers looked at each other over her head but said no more. It seemed there would be nothing more to do than wait.

Damon could tell Elena was unhappy. She sat stiff-backed and still beside him on the couch that night, reading Johnathan Gilbert's journals again. Stefan, conversely, was pacing up and down, driving Damon nuts.  
"What are you doing here anyway?" He snapped tensely at his younger brother.

"I didn't like the idea of Elena being up here on her own while you went to see Katherine," Stefan replied, his eyes flickering over to Elena for just a split second.

"So if Alaric succeeds Katherine really is trapped forever?" Elena asked.

"Seems like it," Damon shrugged, "She owes me one hundred and forty five years of being in that tomb. The rest of eternity is for everyone else she's ever screwed over," Satisfaction tasted sweet in his mouth as he told her this. Before they could continue though, the tense atmosphere was cut through by the ringing of Stefan's phone. He looked at the screen before answering.

"It's Alaric," He said. So, it was the call they'd all been waiting for. Stefan only spoke to Alaric briefly, but Damon was a little miffed that the history teacher hadn't called him. When Stefan hung up, he looked at the other two, "It's done. Alaric managed to do it and move his body to the basement without Jenna or Andie noticing anything wrong." Elena didn't look up from the journal she was reading. Damon leaned over to her instinctively, but instead of looking around she read out loud, her voice sharp and nervous:

"Original's believed in truth and honour. It was forbidden for a vampire to kill another vampire. So the dagger would take both lives. And as long as the dagger is in place, the Original, for all intents and purposes, is dead." At the last word, Damon found he had shot to his feet. The dagger had to remain inside Elijah for him to stay down…

Stefan was already dialling Alaric.

"Rick, check the basement," He fired at the teacher, "Now."

"What? Look, Jenna's only just left and I was about to head-" Damon could hear Alaric saying, though he knew Elena's human senses could not hear over the line. She looked very worried. He reached out and took her hand, trying to comfort her, though he knew it was pointless. This was exactly the sort of thing she had dreaded going wrong.

"Rick, just check." Damon could hear some grumbling from Alaric as he headed back to check the basement. He tuned this out momentarily, looking at Elena's face. Even in her fear she looked beautiful. A few moments later, their fears were confirmed.

"He's gone," Alaric confirmed. When Stefan hung up, the three of them all looked at each other wordlessly for a moment. It was Elena who took a deep breath and seemed to come to her senses first.

"We don't have much time. He'll be coming here," She said matter-of-factly, "If we can convince him that Rick was acting alone, maybe I can just say he's a historian and he got curious- it might give Rick time to get away from Mystic Falls and stay safe."

"He's never going to believe that, Elena," Damon said. She looked at him.

"What other choice is there?" They were interrupted by another phone call- this time to Elena's phone. She glanced again towards Damon before picking it up. And that was when the only other solution was proposed- if Alaric could beat Elijah to the lake house, they could take the dagger- and Elena would have to use it on him. Elena's hands were shaking a little as she hung up the phone, dropping the device in her clumsiness.

"I-"

"You don't have to do this," Stefan told her, "We can leave now, get out of here-"

"And run, like Katherine would?" She responded surprisingly fiercely. Damon felt a little glow of pride. Stefan's expression was serious as he turned to his brother. Damon understood what needed to be said in that look- there was no other way of doing it. Elijah would have to be daggered, and Elena was the only one with a shot at doing it. How she was going to do so, though, was another matter.

By some miracle, Alaric's car came screeching to a halt outside not too long afterwards, yet before any Original's materialised.

"You tried," Damon said to the history teacher. Alaric gave him a distasteful look.

"You know I wanted no part in this, Damon," So it was going to be that way- everybody angry at Damon for putting into motion what seemed to be the only reasonable plan. "This is it- the dagger," He handed it to Elena, "And the ashes. You know what you have to do." Elena accepted the weapon gingerly, turning the dark metal blade over between her fingers, the ashes held in their small jar in her other hand. She swallowed but nodded resolutely.

"Rick, you need to get out of here," She said, her voice low, "I need to speak to him alone. You should all go." She could barely look at Damon when she said this, and he knew it was because she didn't want him to leave her. Luckily, he had no intention of doing so.

"I'm not going anywhere," He said firmly, stepping up to stand beside her, wishing he could be in her place- she seemed so human, so destructible.

"Damon..." She protested without any conviction.

"Stefan, Rick, get out of here," Damon ordered. Stefan caught his eye and nodded firmly once. Alaric was reluctant to go but Stefan dragged him away. An engine started and then faded as it got further away, disappearing with distance and leaving an ominous silence behind. Elena let out a long sigh and Damon moved to stand before her, moving her hair out of her face and cupping her face.

"I love you, Elena," He said in a low voice, "I know you can do this."

"Really?" He answered her question with a kiss, trying to inject as much feeling as he could into the small gesture. He wished he had more time to hold her before the consequences of the night came down on them but he couldn't- even as their lips broke apart, he heard something outside through the silent surroundings of the lake house- the soft jangling of stones.

"He's here," He whispered. The next second, the door was ripped off it's hinges, destroyed as Elijah threw the stones with all his force at it. It was the same trick he'd used in the vampire cafe Damon had visited with Rose what felt like a lifetime ago.

"I need to talk to him alone," Elena repeated what she had said before. Damon knew that, for some reason, Elijah and Elena could talk, but he did not want her to suffer his wrath. She saw his reluctance in his eyes, "Damon, he can't come in this house. I'll be okay." He kissed her again quickly before hiding out of sight. Elena could still see Damon but Elijah could not as he approached the house.

* * *

"You know, I might not be able to enter this house, but I'm a patient man. I'll wait you out," Elijah called threateningly.

Elena was scared. She could admit that openly. She was not so much scared about what might happen to her if she failed as what would happen to everybody else. Bravely, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and approach the door.

"They shouldn't have done what they did," Elijah was standing out on the porch, looking as ever like he was slightly amused by everything going on- but there was nothing funny about this situation.

"The deal is off," He told her flatly.

"I'm renegotiating," She didn't have much hope he would agree to that at this stage, and so she wasn't shocked by his response:

"You have nothing left to negotiate with." Eerily, things were going exactly as she had pictured them ever since she had realised that the dagger was not still in Elijah. The scene had taken on a strangely third-person perspective in her head, as if she was watching herself rather than taking part in the dialogue with the Original. Nothing felt real.

Elena curled her fingers around the handle of the knife she had picked up. She had not mentioned the knife to Damon, and she forced herself not to look at him where he was hiding behind the wall just beside the door. She knew he would hate this plan, but there was nothing else for it.

She revealed the knife to Elijah, who started to laugh.

"I'd like to see you lore Klaus to Mystic Falls after the doppelganger breathes to death," Elena said.

"Damon won't let you die," Elijah chuckled amusedly. She tried not to show her distress that he had known Damon was there all along- she should have known better.

"You're right," She agreed, "He'll feed me his blood to heal me, then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did. So unless you want that to happen again, promise me the same as before… you won't harm anyone I love… even if they've harmed you." She allowed herself a glimpse of Damon then. His bright blue eyes were fixed on the knife.

"I'm sorry, Elena," Elijah said sarcastically, "I'm going to have to call your bluff." Elena swallowed- again, she had known this would happen, yet she'd hoped it wouldn't come to this.

She exhaled and turned the blade of the knife inwards, pointing towards her stomach. Her instinct was to throw away the knife, eliminate the cause of the pain that was bound to follow, but this was her only way out now, her only way to protect everyone she loved… She just hoped Damon wouldn't intervene. She made eye contact with Elijah as she used all her strength to plunge the knife into her stomach.

It took a few seconds before she could feel anything. For a moment she could see but she couldn't hear or feel, and then… Somehow she found herself on the floor, though still inside the threshold, out of Elijah's reach. He had rushed forward immediately when she stabbed herself, but he could not get to her.

"No!" He bellowed, "Yes! Yes, you can have your deal. Let me heal you!" He cried in panic. Elena dropped the knife to the floor, gasping, in more pain than she had ever imagined.

"Give me your word!" She managed to choke out, forcing herself to her feet, though standing was difficult. Blood was pouring, dark and horrifying, everywhere.

"I give you my word," Elijah promised immediately. Relieved in so many ways, Elena stumbled outside into Elijah's arms. As she tripped over the doorstep, her hands closed on the second blade handle- that of the dagger. As he caught her, Elena used the last of her strength to plunge the dagger into his heart, along with the ashes she had doused the blade in. She hardly had a thought to spare for him as he fell to the floor, apparently dead. She collapsed herself, dizzy and weak from the loss of blood. In a second, Damon was beside her, pulling her to him so that her head was on his lap. Through misty eyes, she saw his fangs rip into the skin of his wrist before he offered it to her. Elena didn't even cringe at the strange taste of vampire blood, she just drank. She began to heal immediately, though it'd be a while before she felt normal. Her eyes found Damon's.

"It's okay," He soothed, stroking her hair with his free hand, "You did it. It's over now."

* * *

"How do you feel?" Damon asked Elena with concern as they entered the Salvatore house. It was pitch black outside, the very early hours of the morning, and Elena still appeared a little pale.

"I've been better," She said weakly. Stefan appeared then.

"Where's the body?" He asked. Elena watched the two of them as they carried it down, dagger in chest, and threw Elijah's body into the cellar. Before they left, Damon bent down and removed something from Elijah's pocket- the moonstone. Elena had almost forgotten that part of the deal in everything else that was going on.

"A little moonstone bar of soap. I'll hold onto this," He pocketed it himself with a smirk.

"I'm going to sleep," Elena announced without further ado, walking out of the cell. Damon was left looking at his brother.

"She's mad that we went against her wishes," Damon told him, "But do you see what else we could have done?" Stefan shook his head.

"No. But we can't keep secrets from her, we can't cut her out of the plan again. It's better for all of us that way," He told him. Damon knew he was right when he existed, following Elena upstairs to his room.

"One day I'm going to have a normal weekend," Elena said decisively as she led the way into his bathroom, "One where my outfit doesn't get ruined by blood." Damon laughed.

"Hey, there's always next week- we don't have any Originals to worry about anymore," Elena actually managed half a smile over her shoulder at that one but no more could be said before they entered Damon's bathroom to find the place steamed up- and the shower was running.

"What the hell is going on?" Damon demanded. There was a pause before the water went off and the shower door opened- and out stepped Katherine, completely naked.

"Hello, Damon," She greeted, "Elena. Hey, do either of you have a robe?"

"How did you get out?" Damon and Elena demanded in unison. Elena could evidently do without the nasty shock of her doppelganger being freed.

"I knew that if I begged you not to kill Elijah, that's exactly what you'd do," Katherine smirked in a satisfied manner at her deviousness, "Little known fact… Originals can compel vampires, but as soon as they die, the compulsion wears off."

"And you knew," Damon spat angrily. He should have known that Katherine had given into his questions far too easily to not be suiting her own means too.

"And I'm still here," She pointed out in return. She glanced at Elena, "I didn't run. I meant what I said- I'm going to help you."

* * *

 **A/N: I know this one is shorter than usual but I really wanted to get past this whole daggering Elijah bit so we can get to the real juice. Please, leave me a review, it'd be eternally appreciated!**


	62. Quality Time With Katherine

**Chapter Sixty-Two: Quality Time With Katherine**

Despite being given her marching orders by Damon, Katherine wasn't going anywhere. This was apparent when morning came and Elena found her doppelganger going through her clothes.  
"So you just keep stuff here now?" Katherine asked as Elena entered Damon's bedroom, though she didn't look round.

"Give me that," Elena snatched the vest top Katherine was examining out of her grip. Katherine smirked as she eyed Elena up and down.

"You're getting feistier," She noted. Elena pulled a face.

"Nobody wants you here Katherine," Elena told her, "Get out of here."

"But you do _need_ me here, Elena. You all do," Katherine informed her silkily. Damon entered the room at that moment, looking agitated.

"I told you to leave," He snapped at the vampire.

"Hey, I'll leave if you want but we all want the same thing – Klaus dead. I assume you know what he looks like and when he's coming then?" Elena looked from Katherine to Damon and back. The pair of them were staring each other down.

"If you know something, say it or get out," Damon growled. Katherine was evasive as ever in her response, but as she flitted out with a snarky comment, Elena turned to Damon.

"Do you think she really wants to help?" She didn't trust Katherine, for obvious reasons, but it was true that she wanted Klaus gone as much as the rest of them did. But was that enough to accept having her around? Elena wasn't sure.

"I don't want to say yes, but she has a point- we don't actually know anything about Klaus, but she does." Elena bit her lip, disliking this undeniable fact just as much as Damon clearly did. He looked down at her in a resigned kind of way, "Where are you off to?" He asked, noticing that she was holding her bag.

"School," Elena replied with a shrug. Damon laughed and Elena couldn't help but chuckle herself, "Look, my life can't just stop. I'll see you later," She added, kissing him briefly. Damon smiled down at her before she departed.

Stefan was driving to school and Elena was in the passenger seat. Her mind elsewhere, she had to force herself to concentrate on what her friend was saying as she flipped picked up.

"Hey Care, what's up?"

"Have you heard from Tyler since that night?" Elena thought back to the couple of nights ago, when Tyler had tried to attack the Salvatore's not knowing Elena's part in the breaking of the sun and moon curse. He had seemed shaken that night.

"No, why?"

"I think he's skipped town or something because nobody's seen him. It seems weird," Caroline said, her voice full of worry.

"Why don't you ask Matt?" Elena honestly had no idea what was going on with Caroline and Matt as of late. She knew that Caroline had become very close to Tyler and that this had caused increased problems between herself and Matt.

"I should..." Caroline trailed off a little anxiously, "I'll see you later. If you do see or hear from him..."

"I'll let you know," Elena promised, and they hung up. Stefan, who'd overheard the conversation, raised his eyebrows. "You think he's gone with Jules and those guys?" Elena guessed.

"I don't know but he seemed like he was in kind of a bad way that night," Stefan pointed out, "He could probably do with some time away."

"Hmm..." Elena knew the feeling. Her mind was still mostly on Katherine. She hated the fact her evil doppelganger was on the loose again and she couldn't understand what she was still doing around. She hated to admit it, but a tiny part of her was still worried that Damon might fall for her again. She couldn't survive that- just the thought made her stomach turn. But then again, it had been Stefan that Katherine really wanted- she'd said that herself.

"We all hate having her around, you know," Stefan said, guessing her thoughts accurately.

"I know. I just think I'll stay at mine tonight- Bonnie and Caroline wanted to come over anyway. Bonnie's still freaked because she lost her powers and Caroline- well you heard," Elena said.

"Girls night. Probably good for you," Stefan nodded.

"Maybe Katherine can join us," Elena added bitterly, as they pulled up in front of the school.

* * *

Elena wasn't the only one who was using the day for education. Damon headed down to the cellar- he was determined to find a way of destroying Elijah more permanently. There had to be some way of truly killing an Original. He was just tackling the body with a flame gun that had belonged to one of the hardier Salvatore relatives when Katherine entered. He felt his teeth go on edge immediately at her presence- it was like a plague on his life, having her around.

"Mmm, burning flesh," She said, by way of greeting, "If you're trying to get the dagger back, you're wasting your time. He's indestructible."

"No kidding," Damon huffed, "How do you know so much about Original vampires?"

"Spent five hundred years running from one," Katherine shrugged.

"So when I told you my plan to kill Elijah, why didn't you warn me that I'd die if I used the dagger on him?" He demanded, though he already knew the answer: Katherine was selfish.

"Oh there's so many rules, it's all very confusing."

"Did you know I would die?" Damon growled.

"Did Elijah tell you his plan? Did he have a dagger to kill Klaus with?" Katherine returned his question with her own. As usual, she was being evasive.

"Why are you still here?" He snapped, for the millionth time since the previous night when she'd shown up in his shower.

"Because you haven't forcibly removed me," Katherine teased. Damon pointed the flame gun menacingly at her- burning a vampire was one sure fire way of forcibly removing them- permanently.

"You wouldn't," She said, her eyes on the gun.

"Oh, I would," Damon promised.

"Damon, be smart. I want Klaus dead just as much as you do. More. If I wasn't being honest about helping I'd be long gone by now, okay? You can hate me, but we want the same thing. And you know… I always get what I want," Damon refrained from rolling his eyes at her usual provocative way of speaking, but he lowered the flame gun. He knew only too well that Katherine would be as far away from Mystic Falls and Elijah's body unless there was an advantage to her staying- and as far as he could tell, Katherine would do anything to be free of Klaus.

"I wanted out of the tomb," She said smugly as she made to leave, "Didn't matter who paid the price. Of course I knew that you'd die."

He tried to be surprised that Katherine valued his life so little, but after deceiving him for over a century nothing shocked Damon anymore when it came to her and the levels of cruelty to which she could sink. He told Stefan as much over the phone.

"If she is staying we should figure out why," Stefan agreed with Damon, "But we have to stay one step ahead of her in case she's trying to screw us over."

"She's bound to screw us over either way, it's what Katherine does," Damon said grimly, "Something tells me she's been working on her Elena impression."

"Well, I spoke to Bonnie and she's going to try and talk to the Martin's. Now that Elijah's daggered they could come in handy," Stefan pointed out. Damon wished he could agree but something told him that the two witches would want nothing to do with them at all after everything that'd happened lately.

"Just keep me up to speed- I'm not letting the bitch out of my sight until I know what she's up to," Damon hung up on the last word, before walking through the house and into the kitchen, where he knew Katherine was. She was sat at the table, smiling at her phone and seemingly oblivious to him, though he knew she'd likely been listening to every word he said on the phone to Stefan. Fighting the violent urge to strangle her, he simply leaned calmly over and snatched the phone out of her hand, looking at the screen. She had been flicking through photos of herself in various poses in the tomb.

"What a waste of life," He commented with disgust, flinging the phone back at her. She caught it easily.

"There was nothing to do in there," She pointed out.

"You know what's sad? You didn't have a friend you could have called so you wasted your remaining battery life on yourself."

* * *

"Hey Rick," Elena greeted, looking around his classroom to check it was empty before closing the door behind her, "I guess you've heard the news?"

"One of these days the news might be something normal," Alaric responded, shaking his head. Elena noted that up close he looked tired and stressed. She and Alaric could never speak freely in front of Jenna so it was quite some time since they had caught up between them on everything that had been going on lately, bar the flying visit that he had made to the lake house the night that she had daggered Elijah.

"Is everything okay, Rick?" She asked with some concern.

"No, not really," He admitted, "And you can thank your uncle for that." Elena felt the usual bristle of annoyance she always did whenever John was mentioned.

"What did he do?" Alaric explained his argument with Jenna. Apparently, John had pointed out some of the shadier aspects of Alaric's behaviour which, too Jenna, looked like red flags given that she had no idea what was really going on.

"It was bad," Alaric finished, "You know, John planted all these seeds about Isobel and now Jenna knows I'm lying about something." Elena bit her lip; all the secrets they were keeping between them were catching up with them one way or another.

"John's going to end up dead on the kitchen floor if he's not careful," Elena said forebodingly.

"Yeah, well, easier said than done. I gave him back his ring, so… Look," He said, looking at her intently, "Jenna keeps asking about Isobel. You know, was she murdered? Why haven't they found the body? I mean, how much longer can she stay in the dark?"

"You think we should tell her the truth?" Ever since Jeremy had discovered the truth about the strange occurrences around Mystic Falls, Elena had always been in two minds. Most people were safer not knowing the truth, but sometimes keeping them in the dark was even more dangerous. And if Jenna started digging things up about Isobel, it would only lead to trouble. "...I just thought we'd at least hold off until we'd dealt with Klaus. And even then, how do we tell someone what we know? How can they hear that?" Elena questioned herself out loud. Alaric looked over at her seriously.

"Look, I'm sorry to put this on you but I feel it's your decision to make. And whatever you decide, I'll respect it. I want to be honest with her- but until then, Jenna and I are done."

* * *

Damon was not enjoying being trapped in the house with Katherine. Her presence aggravated him and he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her.

Elena had brought back some of the Gilbert journals with them from the lake house, with the idea that they may be able to learn more about the Originals with further study. Damon decided to peruse these and was just getting them organised when once again, Katherine entered the room.

"What are you up to?" She asked him.

"None of your business," He responded, without even looking at her. An idea was forming in his head.

"We're pouting now?" She asked, then examined the books, "Are these the Gilbert journals?" Damon recalled Katherine teasing Pearl about Johnathan Gilbert's obsessive need to write everything down a long time ago. He had often teased Stefan about the same thing. The memory, though, bothered him more than anything else. He had hung onto every word Katherine said back then, and remembering it only made him angry.  
"How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me what you're up to?" She complained. Damon finally looked at her.

"Can you tell me where a bunch of witches were massacred in this town a couple of centuries ago?" He questioned.

"No," Katherine replied.

"Then you can't help." His stoic response merely led to her lunging for one of the journals. Carelessly, he slapped her hand away. Katherine retaliated and Damon threw her down onto a chair, pinning her there. For a second their faces were inches away from each other until Damon snarled and let her go.

"If it's any consolation, I'm glad you're not dead," Katherine told him, getting up, "Emily told me about the massacre," She sighed after a moment, "It was a big deal in witch folklore. When a witch dies violently they release a mystical energy marking the place of their death with power."

"Elijah wanted to know the site of the massacre," Damon returned her snippet of information with a hesitant bit of his own. Katherine frowned.

"What was he going to do when he found it?" She wondered aloud. Damon shrugged as Stefan entered the house, making his way into the living room with them.

"I don't know. What did papa witch and baby witch have to say?" He asked his brother, who gave Katherine an automatic dirty look as greeting.

"Isn't she gone or, you know, dead yet?" Stefan asked him, making Damon chuckle. Katherine tutted irritably.

"For the last time, I'm here to help. Can we skip the secrets?" Damon and Stefan exchanged a look; it seemed that Katherine wasn't going to be shaken easily as they had hoped.

"Elijah had no weapon to kill Klaus but he believed that if a witch could channel enough power, he wouldn't need one," Stefan explained. Damon nodded; everything seemed to be starting to make sense now. It was also apparent that Katherine hadn't been lying about the witch folklore, if it tallied with what the Martin witches were saying about Elijah's plan; the power would come from the spot of the witch massacre. The question now, though, was how they were going to find it.

Damon was still pondering this a little while later when he got a call from Elena.  
"Hey," He said down the phone, "Isn't it supposed to be girl night?"

"It is, we're at the Grill with Jenna…" He waited, "Do you think she should know?" The question surprised him a little; he hadn't given much thought to Elena's aunt and her place in the secret supernatural dramas that went on in Mystic Falls. He was thinking about his answer when Katherine looked over at him and pulled a face. He threw the journal he was holding at her, though she easily caught it.

"Do you think she can handle the truth?" Damon asked in return. He didn't know Jenna that well but he knew she was generally easy going and kept things that way. Being in the dark was bound to affect her.

"I don't feel like there's a straight forward answer, I just… I'm starting to think that if we don't tell her, she's going to find out in some horrible way… Look, I'm sorry, I have to go. I just wanted to speak to you," Elena finished, her voice warming up towards the end. Damon felt himself smiling as he bade her goodnight.

"I'm bored," Katherine announced, almost as soon as he was off the phone, leaning over his shoulder to see what he was reading. "Hmm… _'Emily Bennett was taken by the Council today. They kidnapped her from her home and took her to the same location her ancestors were burnt a hundred years ago_ '," Katherine read aloud, "So Emily died on the site of the massacre too. Does it say where?" She tried to take the book from him but he kept it out of her reach, giving her a nasty look.

"You know this whole friendly, cooperative thing? I don't buy it," He informed her bluntly.

"Well, I'm enjoying all this quality time together," Katherine told him silkily. He ignored this, "Look, Damon, I have no reason to lie to you,"

"Lie," He accused, pointing at her.

"I'm hungry" She complained. If she didn't stop whinging Damon thought he might make good use of one of the table legs and stake her.

"You're the unwanted house guest, go feed yourself," He snapped at her. She rolled her eyes and made her way down to the basement where they kept the blood. A moment later, Stefan entered the room. He'd obviously been avoiding having to spend any time in the same place as Katherine- Damon was only doing it as he felt someone had to keep an eye on her.

"Well, nothing in any of these," His brother announced drolly, plonking the journals he was holding down, "Find anything?" Damon listened carefully; he could still hear Katherine breathing downstairs, which meant they were in her hearing range too. So, nodding his head, he replied,

"Nope," He pointed to the place on the page where he'd read it; there was no way he was going to clue Katherine in on this. Stefan looked over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows as he read it too.

"That's too bad," The younger Salvatore commented, his jaw set.

"Yeah, bummer." They couldn't say much more about it with Katherine in the house, but at least, finally, they were getting somewhere. The endless hours of Johnathan Gilbert's melodramatic commentary had, in the end, possibly been worth it. Damon was about to suggest bourbon but then he was alerted to trouble by Katherine calling from the basement:

"Damon!" She sounded panicky. Knowing that Elijah's body was down there was what propelled Damon to vamp down the stairs. When he got there, he found Katherine in a position he'd fantasised about just moments before; a chair leg through her stomach. She was struggling to pull it out through the pain. The chair it came from was in pieces in the corner but it was not clear how she had been staked. He bent down and helped pull the stake out of her stomach.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"Damon!" She cried, pointing. He span around to see the dagger rising out of Elijah's heart apparently of it's own accord. Not understanding but not having time to figure it out, Damon seized the flame gun from earlier and shot flames at the dagger. By the time it was still again, his mind had pieced together the hows and whys.

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan asked, arriving downstairs.

"Some crazy ass psychic witch attack!" Damon said through gritted teeth. They should have known better than to trust witches. "Get over there and do something about it. Go!" Stefan was out of there like a shot, leaving Damon and Katherine alone again. But this time, both of them were distracted from antagonising each other by the shock of what had just happened. Whatever else may come to be, they could not afford to have Elijah awake right now; he would easily kill them all.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for your patience all you lovely people!**


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